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Home , A Trip to the Dentist, Both Sides Now (House), Hot Dogs (Veronica Mars), Nicolas Falacci, Normal Is the Watchword, Not Pictured

Moniek van der Kallen Master thesis Film and Television Sciences Utrecht Tutor: Ansje van Beusekom Second reader: Rob Leurs Reader with English as first language: Andy McKenzie

How to end the season of a formulaic series.

A comparative analysis of the series

HOUSE MD and about the recurring conflict in the narrative lines of television series’ season finales: resolution versus continuity.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT.…………………………....………………………..…..1

KEYWORDS………………………………………………………...1

INTRODUCTION.……………………..………………………..…..2

METHOD ……………………………………..…………………...... 4 Story levels ……………..………….…………………………………………...….4 The WOW-method………………………….…………………………..……….…5 The story steps of the Ruven & Batavier Schedule ……………………………….6

THEORY: SERIES, SERIALS AND SOAP OPERAS …………..8 THE CHARACTERISTICS OF SOAP OPERAS ………….....…………...…………....14 Narrative subjects ………………………………………………..……..………...14 Narrative structures …...... ……………………………………..…………….15 The organization of time ...... 16

1. NARRATIVE STRATEGIES IN MD ...…………..…19 EPISODE 1.01 . Building expectations for the series ...... 19 Characteristics of a pilot of a series. Introducing the characters, creating expectations…………………………………..………………..……...... 19 Story endings…..…………………………………..……………………….…....24 Promises for future conflict……….………………..…………………………….26

EPISODE 1.22 THE HONEYMOON. Starting new narratives instead of ending them..27 Introduction a new romantic narrative, creating expectations...…………….…....27 During the episode………………………………...... 29 Hardly a story ending, promises of future conflict...... 32 Ending the episode………………………………...... 33

EPISODE 2.01 . Sketching the new situation….…………………….35 Reintroducing the characters, getting to know the characters pasts ……………..35 During the episode. Seemingly solving, rather than intensifying and clarifying the problem ………………………………...... …37 Ending the episode...…………………………………………………………...... 38

OTHER SEASON TRANSITIONS …………………………………………………….41 2.24: (Part 1) and 3.01: Meanings (Part 2). Will House get rid of his limp and be happy? .……………………...….……...... 41 3.24: Human Error and 4.01: Alone. Big cast , setting the new stage. …..44 4.15: House’s Head (Part 1), 4.16: ’s Heart (Part 2) and 5.01: Dying Changes Everything. The personal ‘bromance’ cliffhanger.……...... 45 5.24: and 6.01-6.02: . Another ‘House’s mental abilities might be compromised’ scare dismantled...…51

THE NARRATIVE FORMAT ………………………………………………………….57

SOAP CHARACTERISTICS AND TACTICS IN HOUSE MD ……..……….…...…....58 Narrative subjects ……………………………………..…………..…………....58 Narrative structures …...... …………………………………..…………...... 60

The organization of time ...... 62

2. NARRATIVE STRATEGIES IN VERONICA MARS ….…...65 EPISODE 1.01 PILOT. Building expectations for the series ……………………...... …65 Characteristic of a pilot of a series. Introducing the characters…………….…...65 Story endings…………………………………………………………….…...... 70 Promises for future conflict……………………………..………………..….....71

EPISODE 1.21 LEAVE IT TO BEAVER. Solving the mystery death………….…....72 Wrapping up the mystery………………………………………………...….….72 During the episode………………………………………………………………74 Story endings ……………………………………………………………...……76 Introducing a new problem………………………………………………….....80 Ending the episode……………………………..………….…………..……...…83

EPISODE 2.01 . Revealing bit by bit what she did last summer, presenting a new mystery.……………………………..……83 Beginning the new season, reintroducing the lead Veronica Mars…………...83 During the episode: reversal of the presumed status quo……………………..85 Introductions………………………………………………………………..…...87 Promise of future conflict…………………………………………………...…...91

BRIEF SUMMARY OF OTHER SEASON TRANSITIONS………………………...... 92 2.16 The Rapes of Graff. Introduction of the Hearst Rapist …………………....92 2.22 and 3.01 Welcome Wagon…..……………………………....93 From season - long narratives to smaller arcs ...... 98 3.20: The Bitch Is Back solving a small mythological mystery and ideas for season 4: Veronica goes FBI……………………………………99

THE NARRATIVE FORMAT ………………………………………………..……….101

SOAP CHARACTERISTICS AND TACTICS IN VERONICA MARS ...…………...... 103 Narrative subjects ……………………………………………………………...... 103 Narrative structures …...... …………………………………………………….…..105 The organization of time ...... 107

3. COMPARING THE USE OF SOAP CHARACTERISTICS IN HOUSE MD AND VERONICA MARS ………………..……….111 SIMILARITIES……..…………...…………………………………………….…...... 112

SHARED SOAP CHARACTERISTICS THAT APPLY TO A CERTAIN DEGREE...112

WHERE THE SERIES DIFFER IN THEIR SHARING OF SOAP CHARACTERISTICS…………………………………………………………………..113

4. USING THE RUVEN & BATAVIER STORY STEP SCHEDULE TO ANALYZE SERIES…....……..………………116 WHERE SOAP CHARACTERISTICS CLASH WITH THE RUVEN & BATAVIER SCHEDULE…………………………………………………………………………….116 Narrative subjects …………………………………………………..……...... 116 Narrative structures …...... …………………………….………………….117

The organization of time ...... 119

THE LACKS OF THE RUVEN & BATAVIER STORY STEP DIAGRAM WHEN USING IT TO ANALYZE SERIES……………………….……………………………121 Character establishing scenes instead of character introduction scenes...…...121 Introduction of the dilemma and opinion of the week ….………….….……122 Number of plans diverges…………………………………………...... …...123 Ignoring the problem………………………………………………...………...124 Smaller leaps forward and more relapses……………………………………124

WHAT IS NEEDED IN STORY STEP 8 NEXT TO HAPPY ENDINGS?...... …….125 Moments of temporary resolution….……………...……………………...….125 Tragic endings………………………………………………………………….126

CONCLUSION………………………………………….………...127

SEASON ENDINGS………………..…………………………………………………..127

STARTING UP NEW SEASONS……………...………………………...………...…..129

HAPPY ENDINGS VERSUS CONTINUITY………………………………...……….130 Any chance of a happy ending? ………………………………….…….….…131

SOAP CHARACTERISTICS IN VERONICA MARS AND HOUSE MD…………..…....132

THE ANALYSIS OF SERIES……………………………………………………...…..133

FINAL REMARKS……………………………………………………………………..134

BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………….……...…...136

FILMOGRAPHY……………………………………….………...140

APPENDICES

APPENDIX 1: THE WOW-METHOD…..…………………………………………....143

APPENDIX 2: THE RUVEN & BATAVIER EIGHT STORY STEP SCHEDULE…..146

APPENDIX 3: LYRICS VERONICA MARS ……………..…………………………..149

DATA DISK: ANALYSIS SCHEDULES HOUSE MD AND VERONICA MARS..…150

Sources images on title page: VERONICA MARS : memles.files.wordpress.com/2007/05/vm.jpg HOUSE MD: http://media.photobucket.com/image/Hugh%20Balloons%20House%20MD/ kotoole72/Hugh%20Laurie%20Pix/Hugh-Balloons.jpg

ABSTRACT

This thesis, written in English, is a comparative analysis of the series HOUSE MD and VERONICA MARS about the recurring conflict in the narrative lines of television series’ season finales: resolution versus continuity. The WOW-method, the Ruven & Batavier story step schedule and characteristics found in series and soap operas are used to analyze the narrative strategies used at the end of the season. Conclusion: the procedural HOUSE MD doesn’t use cliffhangers, but does introduce new problems at the end of the season, or shows moments of temporary resolution. VERONICA MARS with its focus on the mystery of the season, the plot serialization level, uses cliffhangers to end the last episode of the season. Not to introduce new mysteries on the plot serialization level though, but on a character serialization level. Both series are more like soap operas then the author of the thesis presumed.

KEYWORDS

HOUSE MD, VERONICA MARS , series finales, season finales, closure versus continuity, narrative strategies, story levels, WOW-method, story steps, Paul Ruven & Marian Batavier, series, serials, soap operas, formulaic series, episodic series, procedurals, mystery of the week, the procedural level, problem of the week level, mystery of the season, the mythology level, the plot serialization level, mythological mysteries, characteristics of soap opera, unchronicled growth, unrecorded existence, lack of narrative progress, redundancy in narrative, sense of future, happy ending, open ending, tragic ending, cliffhanger, moments of temporary resolution, promise of future conflict, the character serialization level, the character mythology level.

1

Moniek van der Kallen How to end the season of a formulaic series. INTRODUCTION

During my master, I became aware of the clash between the continuing narrative style and the yearning for a satisfactory closure within the last episode of 1 television series. I analyzed two exemplary series finales : BUFFY THE VAMPIRE 2 SLAYER and THE OC . A characteristic of most series is to keep the narrative continuing, never ending. But when the executives of the network, which airs the series, decide to cancel it, the continuing characteristic of the series is automatically disrupted. Whether the narrative ends with an open ending , a happy or a tragic ending; the narrative isn’t going to continue, the viewer won’t get to see what happens next 3. But the satisfaction of the fans with the last episode varies. In order to satisfy the fans, the last episode must reflect the rest of the series. In my analysis of the two series finales I did find that happy endings formed a bigger disruption with the continuing characteristic of a series then an open ending would. I became intrigued with the similarities and differences between series finales and season finales 4. Season finales are episodes that precede the summer hiatus, in which series aren’t producing or broadcasting new episodes, but the series returns after the summer. Season finales can entail narratives with ‘happy endings’ like the series finale can. But with season finales, for the sake of continuing the series, the main storylines must be continued. So this ‘happy end’ may be torn apart again in the first episode of the next season. Season finale narratives can also end with cliffhangers. Cliffhangers are narrative devices that invoke big emotional responses, often placing the lives of one or more of the characters in danger. When the narrative pauses during a precarious situation, the cliffhanger creates an even lesser degree of closure at the end of a season, then the closure at the end of a regular episode without a cliffhanger.

1 Series finale: the very last episode of a series. 2 BUFFY : THE VAMPIRE SLAYER . Josh Whedon (creator), Warner Brothers Network, 1997-2003. THE OC Josh Schwartz (creator), Fox, 2003-2007. 3 Unless the narrative continues in another medium, like the comic books. Source: Vineyard, Jennifer, “Re-Buffed. New comic book series resurrects Vampire Slayer. Series starts in March, picks up where TV show left off.” Mtv.com/news, posted: Februari 1 2007. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1551286/20070131/story.jhtml 4 Season finale: the last episode of any season of any series. The analysis was done for the Master course ‘Programma’ by professor David Thorburn in 2007: Thorburn, David, master course Programma . Universiteit Utrecht, course code 200600085, April-Juli 2007. 2 Moniek van der Kallen How to end the season of a formulaic series.

The reason I conducted my thesis on series finales is that I noticed that THE

OC, VERONICA MARS and more recent GOSSIP GIRL have the tendency to start a new season with gossip about and flashbacks of what happened ‘over the summer’ 5. These stories at the beginning of a new season often completely turned around the status quo we thought we knew: the way the narratives represented this fictional world at the end of the previous season. The three series I mentioned above seemed similar in their narrative strategies. So I decided to investigate to what extent a series that uses a formulaic narrative each episode like HOUSE MD, uses the same narrative strategies 6.

The series HOUSE MD led me to question the necessity of cliffhangers. With soap related series the need for cliffhangers is evident, because the main focus of the storylines are the shown relationships between different characters. The conflict in relationships will have to persuade the viewers to watch the new season. Series like HOUSE MD and in a lesser degree VERONICA MARS have a bonus focus point; they also can give the viewer satisfaction from the tension of the mystery of the week . Do these series, with an extra focus point, need cliffhangers too? Or is VERONICA MARS , leaning on a season long story arc waiting to be resolved a series that does need cliffhangers? And is the procedural 7 series HOUSE MD, of which each episode stands well on its own, a series that doesn’t? To find an answer to these questions I will perform a qualitative content analysis of the narratology; a textual analysis focused on the narrative structure:

How do the season finales and season starting episodes

of television drama series VERONICA MARS and HOUSE MD address the tension between the urge to resolve and conclude versus their continuing storylines?

Investigating the use of and the need for cliffhangers and happy endings will deepen the understanding of narrative strategies used by television writers. This will not only benefit scholars studying television in their understanding of the anatomy of storylines, but will also benefit the understanding of television writers of the cycles and the anatomy of storylines .

5 VERONICA MARS , (creator), The CW, 2004-2007. GOSSIP GIRL , Josh Schwartz (creator), The CW, 2007-present. 6 HOUSE MD. (creator), Fox, 2004-present. 7 Procedural: a series with episodes of a formulaic narrative. See for further explanation: Theory. 3 Moniek van der Kallen How to end the season of a formulaic series. METHOD

Story levels To analyze the series I am going to conduct a narrative analysis of every first and last episode of a season. To be able to convey with which story part an episode ends, you must split up the different storylines. According to Allrath series consist of storylines that work on different levels 8. I will analyze three levels of storytelling:

1. Storyline per episode. Some are very obvious as in case of the

mystery of the week in VERONICA MARS and the medical mystery

of the week in case of HOUSE MD. Others let the characters encounter and engage with one particular problem, like former Hoodlum going to his first official engagement in his new high

class environment in the serial THE OC 9. Also, an episode can entail B-stories that also finish within one episode 10 .

2. Narratives overarching several episodes. These narratives concern narratives with a time span ranging from a couple of episodes to whole season (like the mystery of the season in

VERONICA MARS ). These second level narratives interweave with the episode long narratives. 3. Narratives concerning ‘the development of professional and personal relationships between the main characters […] establishing continuity reminiscent of the serial’ 11 . These narratives convey the characteristics of the series’ characters, which are rarely changing and always present. Therefore these narratives interweave with other narratives through the course of the whole series.

Until the very last stage of writing my essay I didn’t find satisfying names for these three levels of storytelling. In an article in GQ (Gentleman’s Quarterly ) several creators and writers of the television drama series industry inadvertently

8 Allrath, “1 Introduction”, Narrative Strategies, Hampshire, 2005, p. 6. 9 THE OC Episode 1.04: The Debut, August 2003. 10 The narratives of rounded double- and triple episodes are difficult to rank in this system of story levels, because they obviously extend beyond the one episode. But I consider them to be extended versions of the structure of one episode. They simply stretch the structure of the narrative, begin middle and end, over two or three episodes. Only now the breath taking, sitting on the edge of your seat cliffhangers now end an episode instead of preceding a commercial break within the episode. Now the first (two) episode(s) of the two- or three-parter conclude with a caption stating ‘To be continued’. 11 Allrath, “1 Introduction”, Narrative Strategies, Hampshire, 2005, p. 6. 4 Moniek van der Kallen How to end the season of a formulaic series. talk about the different levels of storytelling used while they talk about the allure of different sorts of series 12 :

1. The procedural level, also known as the level of the mystery of the week, the self-contained or standalone narrative of the episode. In non-formulaic shows this would be the narrative / problem of the week level . 2. The level of mythology or plot serialization. Damon Lindelof (co- creator/executive producer, LOST 13 ) names the “season-long murder-mystery arc” in the heavily serialized DESPERATE 14 HOUSEWIVES as an example and JJ Abrams (co-creator/ executive producer /director of LOST , FRINGE and ALIAS 15 ) gives the example of the recurring mysterious recurrent character of ‘The Observer’ in the procedural with mythological narrative sci- fi series FRINGE . This means the narratives of this level might or might not be a season long. Other than the mysteries of the week, most of VERONICA MARS ’ mysteries fall under this category as mythological mysteries . 3. The level of character serialization or character mythology , about character histories and relationships which ties the seasons together.

I will use these terms in the rest of my essay to indicate the different story levels.

The WOW-method To discern with which part of a narrative an episode ends, cliffhanger or happy ending, I needed a system to name the different parts of the stories. I first came across the WOW-method, constructed by Addy Weijers, Gerd-Jan Oud and Fred Wester to be able to analyze the ‘entire message system of television drama’ 16 . The method combines, splitting narrative lines to analyze them separately, analyzing the characters and their goals and analyzing opposite forces in the narrative. The WOW-method consists of four levels. In this thesis I will only make use of the first two levels. With the first level a transcript of the episode is made, writing down actions, words and looks to be able to analyze the stories. In the

12 During the interview they come to these distinctions and in the beginning of the interview they use the terms serialized elements and mythology as interchangeable, then later on add the nuances of plot versus character serialization. Pappademas, Alex, “Geekdom’s Council of Elders, Part 1”, GQ , posted December 14, 2009. http://www.gq.com/entertainment/movies-and-tv/200912/jj-abrams-flashforward-lost-star- trek?currentPage=1 13 LOST , Meredith Stiehm & J.J. Abrahams (creators), CBS, 2003-2010. 14 DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES , Marc Cherry, ABC, 2004-present. 15 FRINGE , J.J. Abrams, (creator), Fox, 2008-present. ALIAS , J.J. Abrams, (creator), ABC, 2001-2006. 16 Oud, Gerd-Jan, Addy Weijers, Frank Wester, Narrative and culture, The WOW method, an approach to textual analysis of television drama . Nijmegen, Instituut voor massacommunicatie, 1997, p. 1. 5 Moniek van der Kallen How to end the season of a formulaic series. case of this thesis not all dialogue and actions will be written down, a selection will be made. In level two the various storylines are separated. 17 With these separate storylines, I will not only be able to analyze what kind of ending the series uses, but also which other questions might remain for the viewer after watching said episode. Only the narratives in the wow-method are analyzed with a very simple system for the distinction of different components of the storylines. Only three different story parts are used, namely:

A: Something causes a problem. B: The main character has to decide what to do. C: The main character makes a decision and acts on it.18

The WOW-method doesn’t even have a story step for the result of the actions of the main character. Although it is true that television storylines are largely repetitions of this cycle, analyzing with this system won’t emphasize the repetitiveness or the gaps in the storyline as much as I want to.

The story steps of the Ruven & Batavier schedule Paul Ruven, writer and script doctor on various Dutch as well as American productions, and Marian Batavier, a Dutch television writer, use an extended version of this cycle which they call the “Eight story steps” and the “Eight love story steps”. Except this system of analysis is designed for Hollywood films, making it slightly inadequate to analyze television narratives correctly as well. But in my opinion the Ruven & Batavier story step schedule comes closer to an accurate analysis then the WOW-method. Especially in analyzing the narrative one at a time this system of story and love steps proved to be useful. So in my analysis of television narratives I combine both systems. But I gather, that I will probably think of modifications for both of the methods while stumbling upon narratives that will prove these systems inadequate. In result this thesis will not only analyze the use of different narrative methods; it will also investigate the usefulness of the analysis system itself. Paul Ruven and Marian Batavier wrote a very detailed manual on how to analyze a movie script 19 . According to Ruven and Batavier, most of the film

17 Oud, Gerd-Jan, Narrative and culture, The WOW method , Nijmegen, 1997, p. 12. 18 Oud, Gerd-Jan, Narrative and culture, The WOW method , Nijmegen, 1997, p. 12. 19 Ruven, P. and M. Batavier, Het Geheim van Hollywood. De Gouden Succesformule voor Schrijvers, Acteurs, Regisseurs en alle andere Filmliefhebbers. Amsterdam, 2007. Also available 6 Moniek van der Kallen How to end the season of a formulaic series. scripts follow an eight step plan, each step being divided in smaller pieces (see appendix 1 for an extended schedule with smaller pieces within each story step).

THE 8 STORYSTEPS by Paul Ruven and Marian Batavier. 1. Introduction. 2. Deliberation. 3. Plan 1, the standard plan, fails. 4. Plan 2, an extreme plan, fails. 5. Re-evaluation. 6. Plan 3 leads to rock bottom. 7. Plan 4, almost succeeds and leads to an epiphany. 8. Plan 5 succeeds: Happy Ending.

The Eight Steps for the storyline of the genre of film are usually paired with Eight Steps in the development of the love story line (again, see appendix 1 for the extended schedule). In my episode and series analyses I will use Ruven’s and Batavier’s terms of phrase to indicate which part of the storyline is shown (complete analyses schedules can be found on the included CD). These combined methods create a long process of analysis per episode. After having found greater insight in the workings of each individual series, I will briefly summarize other season transitions to be able to sketch a broader view of the sort of seasonal transitions each series uses.

To be able to analyze VERONICA MARS and HOUSE MD concerning the similarities and differences in narrative strategies in the season’s last episodes, I will explain what the great distinctions in characterizations between the two series are. And if you look at the narrative devices like cliffhangers and happy endings which turn out to be no happy endings at all, you quickly tread into the territory of the characteristics of the soap opera. I will use the characteristics of the soap opera to investigate how VERONICA MARS and HOUSE MD use similar narrative methods to keep viewers watching after the summer break.

in the English version: The Secret of Hollywood. The Golden Success Formula for Writers, Actors, Directors and Other Movie Lovers. 7 Moniek van der Kallen How to end the season of a formulaic series. THEORY: SERIES/ PROCEDURALS, SERIALS AND SOAP OPERAS.

Horace Newcomb described the properties of television as being (dis)continuity and intimacy 20 . Intimacy because of the direct contact within your own home with the television set. Television producers used a lot of close-ups to frame the faces of the people shown on television, because the first television screens were small- sized. As Newcomb wrote his characterizations in the beginning of the development of television series 21 , he saw discontinuity as a characterization. The term series stood for TV shows ‘whose characters and setting are recycled, but the story concludes in each individual episode’ 22 . The main characters didn’t show any recollection of the learned lesson from a previous episode. Though there was a certain amount of continuity when looking at the use of the same settings and same characters or having the same character traits week after week. But there were no continuing storylines. Considering these episodic series required less background knowledge from the viewer, these series would be more accessible to occasional viewers. In serials most storylines continue over several episodes and even several seasons. This creates more room for the psychological depth of the characters; the frequent viewer can be aware of the emotional a character has built up 23 over the years. Examples of serials are “24” and LOST . Nowadays I would call procedural a synonym for a series , and explicitly not for serials. In procedurals , every standalone episode narrates about the investigation of one case; the begin, middle and the outcome are shown. Examples of procedurals are:

• cops series like CSI, COLD CASE , NUMB 3RS and BONES ;

• private investigator series like MURDER , SHE WROTE and

VERONICA MARS ; 24 • lawyer series like ALLY MCBEAL .

20 Glen Creeber, “ ‘Taking our personal lives seriously’. Intimacy, continuity and memory in the television drama serial”, Media Culture Society Vol. 23, , 2001, p. 442. http://mcs.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/23/4/439 21 The terms series and serial used as in “1 Introduction: Towards a Narratology of TV Series”, Gaby Allrath, Marion Gymnich and Carola Surkamp, Narrative Strategies in Television Series, Allrath, Gaby, and Marion Gymnich (ed.). Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005, p. 10. 22 Allrath, “1 Introduction”, Narrative Strategies, Hampshire, 2005, p. 5. 23 “24”, Robert Cochran and Joel Surnow (creators), Fox, 2001-present. HEROES , Tim Kring (creator), NBC, 2006-present. PRISON BREAK , Paul Scheuring (creator), FOX, 2005-2009. 24 COLD CASE , Meredith Stiehm (creator), CBS, 2003-present. 8 Moniek van der Kallen How to end the season of a formulaic series.

HOUSE MD also is a procedural, though this series is an exceptional case. With the cop and private eye shows, the viewer sees every suspect and can guess beforehand who the real perpetrator might be. With HOUSE MD even the specialist doctors have no clue what disease is ailing the patient-of-the-week and the general public that isn’t medically educated can’t even follow the differential. Only the banter between the characters, the reflection of their own lives because of the patient and the tough choices that come with life and death situations keep the case-of-the-week interesting. Mind you, not every series that uses rounded storylines each week falls into the category of the procedural . Even the more soapy serials also portray a rounded narrative each episode. THE OC for instance has a soap opera narrative about different personal issues every week, often linked to important social events in the life of the characters; Cotillion, a visiting grandfather, or Christmas 25 . But these narratives have less pre-set building blocks as the clear cut, every week 26 returning “whodunit ” narratives. Series like VERONICA MARS and ALIAS , BUFFY 27 THE VAMPIRE SLAYER and THE X-FILES are a mix of the serial and a procedural . These series have a case-of-the-week but also portray mythological storylines several episodes, a season long or even longer. With a lot of procedurals the following applies: the longer the series runs, the more attention goes to the personal narratives of the characters, the character serialization level. This was the case with LOST and BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER . In the beginning the case-of-the-week narratives are new, the feel of the series is new and the viewers get to know the characters bit by bit. But after the first introductions, the case-of-the-week can’t be that spectacular every time. The highly formulaic narrative becomes a routine. And the characters will respond to the case with emotional engagement. Some conflict on the character serialization level has become clear with the introductions of the character and now some kind

NUMB 3RS , Nicolas Falacci (creator), CBS, 2005-present. BONES , Hart Hanson (creator), Fox, 2005-present. MURDER , SHE WROTE , Peter S. Fischer (creator), CBS, 1984-1996. ALLY MCBEAL , David E. Kelley (creator), Fox, 1997-2000. 25 Cottilion in: THE OC Episode 1.04: The Debut, 26 August 2003. Visiting grandfather in: THE OC Episode 1.06: The Girlfriend, Christmas in: THE OC episode 1.13: Best Chrismukkah Ever, 3 December 2003. THE OC Episode 2.06: The Chrismukkah That Almost Wasn’t, 16 December 2004. THE OC Episode 3.10: The Chrismukkah Bar Mitz-vahkkah, 15 December 2005. THE OC Episode 4.07: The Chrismukk-huh?, 14 December 2006. 26 Narratives that centre around one crime and solving that crime. 27 THE X-FILES , Chris Carter (creator), FOX, 1993-2002. 9 Moniek van der Kallen How to end the season of a formulaic series. of change or attempt of change will have to be made to keep the audience interested. So over time a lot of the procedurals will exhume more and more characteristics of the serial. The development of a show can also go the other way though. Like VERONICA MARS , ALIAS became a procedural series under pressure of the ABC network in an attempt to engage more viewers 28 .

Serials (or procedurals with a lot of serial qualities like for instance VERONICA

MARS ), ask for a commitment of watching every week. Otherwise the viewer has a greater difficulty understanding what is shown. But recent developments have somewhat diminished this problem. Inventions like the video recorder and digital recorders make it easier for consumers to watch their shows every week. This increased the popularity of serials 29 . Though when the episode is recorded, people are able to fast-forward through the commercials or when seen on DVD there only trailers of other DVD’s are shown. Commercially speaking, only viewers that watch the episode within a week are interesting for advertisers 30 . So even if the recorders amount to more viewers, those viewers have no effect on the audience that count for the ratings and won’t help the series to be picked up again next season. For the producers the possibility of selling series on (previously VCR, now) DVD weigh in another factor: the DVD sales of serialized shows are often better than the DVD sales of procedurals 31 . Because a serialized show asks more loyalty from the viewers, the viewers can become really proud. Their loyalty is rewarded by ‘getting’ all the ‘inside jokes’. The more difficult it is to understand the series, the more elite the fan base can become. Nowadays the members of those small groups can find each other on the internet, for example on discussion boards and blogs about their favorite series. Such avid fans (more common with serials) are prone to buy the merchandise, like limited edition DVD boxes and action figure dolls of their favorite characters, as well 32 .

28 Pappademas, Alex, “Geekdom’s Council of Elders, Part 1”, GQ , posted December 14, 2009. 29 Pappademas, Alex, “Geekdom’s Council of Elders, Part 1”, GQ , posted December 14, 2009. 30 Ryan, Maureen, quoting FX President John Landgraf “Has TV lost its nerve when it comes to complex dramas?” Chicago Tribune , posted February 27, 2009, http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2009/02/has-tv-lost-its-nerve-when-it- comes-to-complex-dramas.html . 31 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_(radio_and_television) and US DVD Sales Charts: http://www.the-numbers.com/dvd/charts/ 32 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_(radio_and_television) 10 Moniek van der Kallen How to end the season of a formulaic series.

As seen above, the series/procedural versus serial isn’t a neat distinction; in reality every current drama show is a series-serial hybrid form. Nowadays, it would be hard to find a series that doesn’t contain some sort of continuing personal storyline about the main characters of the show. Even with series that focus on case-of-the-week work-related narratives, like the CSI: CRIME SCENE 33 INVESTIGATION and LAW AND ORDER franchises , contain info about the character’s personal lives (though it may be a minimal amount).

“High-status police action series […] have all used the emotional lives of the primary characters and their evolving relationships and relationship histories, as part of the of each episode. Cops and their colleagues are now not only seen in the office or on the street, but at home, in bed, in restaurants, arguing with their children, their lovers and their .” 34

So when categorizing series on the extent of serialization one should realize that all series fit on a scale between series and serials. The trick is to correctly position a series on the scale, to ask the question is it closer to the form of the series or the serial? The soap opera 35 is a sub-genre and a sort of extreme version of the serial. You could even say a series could be scaled regarding their degree in which it makes use of soap opera characteristics. With soap operas , shortly known as soaps , the continuous stream of narrative lines entails that the soap opera itself becomes a never-ending story. This is desirable for television producers, because it is less expensive to be able to use the same series bible and the same sets for a longer period. To be able to create such an ongoing mosaic of narratives the soap opera needs a lot of characters. In order to maintain a coherent show, all those characters are connected as family, friends, colleagues or neighbors. Especially in the early days of television, the limited size of the television screen (opposed to the screen in the cinema) meant that the screen was too small to discernibly show

33 LAW AND ORDER franchise (1990-present), a couple series combining police and legal drama’s, all sprung from the original series , LAW AND ORDER , Dick Wolf (creator), NBC, 1990-2010. 34 Bowles, Kate, “Soap Opera: ‘No end of story, ever’ ” in The Australian TV Book, Graeme Turner and Stuart Cunningham (ed.), Crow’s Nest, Australia, 2000, p.122. http://books.google.com/books?id=GNVemc8p1WEC&pg=PA117&lpg=PA117&dq=Kate+Bowle s+Soap&source=bl&ots=B2gUuTdtu3&sig=cArwsMQrlXYV1StiUGE2uyDn8As&hl=nl&ei=EB 4-SpbFBtKG-Qbo_unJDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5 35 The name soap opera or soap is derived from the product linked to the first serialized drama narrative told on the radio. Proctor & Gamble, a company known for it’s washing powder products, sponsored the program. Source: Bowles, “Soap Opera: ‘No end of story, ever’ ” p.118. 11 Moniek van der Kallen How to end the season of a formulaic series. sweeping landscapes 36 . As the human eye and human interest will always be drawn to humans first 37 , television programs began to make use of close-ups when they wanted to emphasize the characters emotions. The relational narratives of soap operas create emotional moments that call for these close-ups. For instance when one character verbally repeats an occurrence to another character, this isn’t about telling the story, but about how the other character reacts to the news. There is another reason to concentrate on the difficulties and possibilities these relationships entail. Location shoots and action scenes with special effects like explosions are too expensive. And the small budget results in unconvincing sets. As said above, the narrative choices and lack of elaborate sets also makes soap operas prone to a higher production rate. So soap operas can be broadcasted more than once a week. They are usually broadcasting a new episode five times a week; once every weekday. This way the soap opera is useable to “structure a daily habit of television viewing” 38 , another appealing fact for advertisers and subsequently for the producers. As with the distinction between series and serials , the distinction between serials and soap operas is a complicated one. What most people would categorize 39 as a soap opera , like DAYS OF OUR LIVES and THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL , even critics and the people from the industry itself, might be called a daytime

(television) serial by others. With series like HILL STREET BLUES and “ER”, the use of several soap opera characteristics like large cast , multi-episode narratives, character development themed narratives, a mosaic narrative structure entered the realm of weekly prime-time series 40 . A broad variety of shows have received the label soap opera:

• the lush and over the top once-a-week serials like DALLAS (which started out as a episodic series) regarding the Texas oil industry and its influence on the family life; • the once-a-week broadcasted Party of Five with its dramatic portrayal of problems concerning family life;

36 Thorburn, course: Programma. Universiteit Utrecht, 2007. 37 Westhoff, Edwin, a teacher of photography with the Fotoacademie(Photo Academy) in Rotterdam, course Composition in Photography, course number 08F1104, Parnassos (cultural centre of the Universiteit Utrecht), May-June 2009. 38 Bowles, “Soap Opera: ‘No end of story, ever’ ”, p.118. 39 DAYS OF OUR LIVES , Ted and Betty Corday (creators), NBC and SOAPnet, 30 minutes 1965- 1975, 60 minutes 1975-present. THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL , William J. Bell & Lee Philip Bell, (creators), CBS, 1987-present. 40 HILL STREET BLUES , Steven Bochco, (creator), NBC, 1981-1987; Thorburn, David, Programma . Universiteit Utrecht, April-Juli 2007. 12 Moniek van der Kallen How to end the season of a formulaic series.

• as well as the bleak and realistic working-class, several-times-a- week occurring British serials like and EastEnders.41

And as mentioned above, even formulaic series have serial / soap opera characteristics, like relationship themed narratives. Making the characterization even more problematic is the negative tone the term ‘soap opera’ has obtained.

“Critics of mass culture in the 1940s and 1950s, such as Adorno and Horkheimer, made passing reference to the popularity of the daily soap as evidence of a more general cultural decline and, as Barbara Klinger has argued, this denigration of the soap opera contribute to a ‘climate of opinion’ in which other cultural artifacts such as the lavish melodramas of Douglas Sirk were able to be similarly dismissed (Klinger 1994: 83). Along the way, the term ‘soap’ acquired such negative connotations that it was scarcely necessary to pay attention to the real complexity of its content, its distinctive and ingenious narrative style or its peculiarly telephilic format.” 42

Consequently, the label ‘soap opera’ became a kind of blasphemous characterization that producers shied away from, even if the format merited the label. Still, the label of soap opera for a series can correctly illustrate the fast pace of the narratives on personal issues, and the extensive use of cliffhangers. I will use the characteristics of soap characteristics to analyze the first and last episodes of a series. This way I can add some narrative tactics used in the continuous television medium to complement the narrative tactics of the standalone narratives of Hollywood films as described by Ruven and Batavier. In series and soaps genres and characteristics are blurred, critics can’t agree, so how will I make the distinction? To be able to make an attempt at creating a fitting categorization, firstly I will gather characteristics of soap operas concerning the narrative, as described by Ien Ang, Christine Geraghty, Robert C. Allen and 43 Kate Bowles . After analyzing the storylines of HOUSE MD in chapter 1 and the

41 Source for this subsection: Bowles, “Soap Opera: ‘No end of story, ever’ ”, p.119; DALLAS , David Jacobs, CBS, April 2–30 1978 as miniseries, as weekly program – 1978-1991. PARTY OF FIVE , Christopher Keyser & Amy Lippman (creators), Fox, 1994-2000. CORONATION STREET , Tony Warren (creator), ITV, 1960-present. Has been broadcasted for two or three times a week. EASTENDERS , Julia Smith & Tony Holland (creators), BBC One, 1985-present. The series was originally screened as two half-hour episodes per week, today its up to four episodes broadcast a week. 42 Bowles, “Soap Opera: ‘No end of story, ever’ ”, p.118. 43 Ang, Ien, “Melodramatic identifications. Television fiction and women’s fantasy” in Feminist television criticism. A reader Charlotte Brunsdon, Julie D’Acci, Lynn Spigel (ed.), Oxford, 1997. 13 Moniek van der Kallen How to end the season of a formulaic series.

storylines of VERONICA MARS in chapter 2, chapter 3: Soap opera characteristics

in HOUSE MD and VERONICA MARS , I will compare the soap opera characteristics

to VERONICA MARS and HOUSE MD in particular. In chapter 4, I will analyze the usefulness of the Ruven & Batavier story step schedule for Hollywood film for analyzing television series.

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF SOAP OPERAS

Narrative subjects 1 Narratives focusing on personal issues. (Ang) Soap operas do not only concern romance and sex, as many critics may claim. The narrative subjects of soap operas focus on the personal life ‘understood here as constituted by its everyday realization through personal relationships.’ 44 Meaning the main focus is on narratives about romance, sex, family ties and friendships. But according to Jennifer Hayward in her book Consuming Pleasures 45 the narratives also concern social issues, business, suspense and crime. But of these stories the main focus is on the effect these other narratives have on the personal lives of the characters.

2 Narratives about a whole community. (Geraghty) The narratives are about whole communities, for instance structured around one or more families, a street, or a place of work. Examples of narratives that are work-

related are the Dutch soap opera ONDERWEG NAAR MORGEN , evolving around the

hospital in which a lot of characters work, or the United States soap opera THE

46 BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL centered on the fashion industry in Beverly Hills .

3 Individual characters are dispensable (Allen). In soap operas the sheer number of characters and the fact that no characters is the main character, make the death of a character a more acceptable occurrence.

Geraghty, Christine,“The Continuous Serial. A Definition”, in Coronation Street , Richard Dyer, Christine Geraghty and others (eds), London, 1981, p.9-26. http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/3320/1/geraghty2.pdf Allen, Robert C. (ed.), “Audience-oriented criticism and television” in Channels of discourse, reassembled. Television and contemporary criticism, second edition, London, 1995. 44 Ang, “Melodramatic identifications”, p. 158-159. 45 Hayward, Jennifer, Consuming Pleasures. Active audiences and serial fictions from Dickens to soap opera. University press of Kentucky, 1997, p. 151. 46 ONDERWEG NAAR MORGEN , Hans Scheepmaker (producer), TROS/Veronica 1994-1995, Veronica 1995-2001, Yorin 2001-2005, BNN 2005-present. Source: ”Extra’s | ONM versus Ryan’s Hope” (part of www.ONMarchief.tk ), posted: 22 October 2008, http://archiefonm.web- log.nl/mijn_weblog/2008/10/extras-onm-veru.html . 14 Moniek van der Kallen How to end the season of a formulaic series.

4 Excessive narratives . (Ang) The most extreme narratives like rape, incest etcetera, succeed each other in an insane tempo. According to Ang the role of these narratives is “metaphorical, and their appeal stems from the enlarged emotional impact they evoke”.47

Narrative structures 5 Interweaving / intercutting of stories (Geraghty, Allen) In soap operas several storylines are in differing stages of progress. In one episode, one narrative line may be started up as another is in its climax and another is coming to a (temporal) conclusion. This creates an ever-ongoing mosaic of narratives.

6 Every storyline runs over several episodes (Allen). Like said above, in soap operas the different storylines are in different stages of progress. They all run over several episodes, having scenes in episodes during a few weeks long.

7 Open narratives (Allen) In serials a lot of the narratives are open ended, like when a marriage ceremony shows a seemingly happy couple, but the differences that threatened the marriage a few minutes earlier still spell future crises. But in soap opera other tools are also used to keep story lines open, like the characteristics 8 and 9.

8 The Cliffhanger. (Allen) The narrative doesn’t end, but pauses during a moment of suspense. These “calculated suspensions” 48 , placed at the end of each episode and before commercial breaks, leave the viewer pondering what will happen next. The pause creates an opportunity for the viewer to reassess what happened before the cliffhanger. These cliffhangers heighten the “tension between what we have learned from the text and what we anticipate finding out[, which] occurs throughout the text and at every level of its organization” 49 .

9 Moments of temporary resolution. (Geraghty, Ang) Soap operas only have temporal or relative stable periods of seeming closure. Big occasions of weddings etcetera are no indication of closure of a happy end.

47 Ang, “Melodramatic identifications”, p. 159. 48 Allen, “Audience-oriented criticism and television”, p. 109. 49 Ang, “Melodramatic identifications”, p. 106. 15 Moniek van der Kallen How to end the season of a formulaic series.

Storylines do have an ending, but these endings just create the promise of more problems in the future. Like possible future marital problems in case of a wedding. The narrative is left for now, but will be picked up again later. It’s like the melodramatic idea, that life is a continuous struggle without the possibility of a happy ending. Or as Ang puts it:

“They [soap operas] represent process without progression and as such do not offer the prospect of a conclusion of final denouement, in which all problems are solved. Thus, soap operas are fundamentally anti-utopian: an ending, happy or unhappy, is unimaginable. […] Here, a basic melodramatic idea is conveyed: the sense that life is marked by eternal contradiction, by unsolvable emotional and moral conflicts, by the ultimate

impossibility, as it were, of reconciling desire and reality”50

The organization of time. 10 Frequency of more than once a week. (Geraghty 51 ) You could argue that the definition of soap opera is a serial that has a frequency of more than once a week, often appearing five times a week; every workday. But that would not be adequately enough to define soap operas: as you can see in this paragraph, other characteristics make up the label of soap opera . Is it a given that there are no soap operas that appear once a week, couldn’t it be possible? In theory a weekly soap opera could exist. Personally, I think that when a serial lacks a narrative that is resolved within one episode, coupled with a focus on the characterization serialization narratives and an appearance of more than once a week, the serial can be defined as a soap opera. When using that definition, I have yet to wander across a once-a-week appearing soap opera. To make the definitions even more complicated: American’s often call low budget soap operas that are broadcasted in the afternoon daytime serials and serials and higher rated soap operas run in the evening primetime serials 52 . In my opinion it would more specific to speak of soap opera’s when aired more than once a week and add daytime or primetime depending on the time it’s aired. The word serial is used for indicating series that air once a week and display many soap opera characteristics, mainly by focusing on the character serialization narratives.

50 Ang, “Melodramatic identifications”, p. 160 51 Geraghty, Christine, quoting George Comstock in Woman and soap opera. A study of prime time soaps , Cambridge, 1991, p.3. http://books.google.nl/books?id=d3hWqZwJgN8C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false 52 Bowles, “Soap Opera: ‘No end of story, ever’ ”, p.119. 16 Moniek van der Kallen How to end the season of a formulaic series.

11 ‘Unchronicled growth’ and ‘unrecorded existence’ (Allen) In the mind of the viewer the characters live their life, even while they are not shown. As Roman Ingarden puts it 53 : “a reader or viewer will fill in the gaps that the writers leave in the narratives, to make the fictional world a complete and comprehendible world.” So a soap opera just conveys the summary of the highlights may they be positive or negative, in the lives of the characters of the time that has passed after the previous episode. Other characters also go on with their lives, but apparently nothing interesting happened.

12 Lack of narrative progress (Ang, Bowles) Soap operas regularly show a drawing out of similar circumstances for weeks on end. Especially after cliffhangers, a day later or after the commercial break, we return to a scene where no time has lapsed. Or on a smaller scale, cliffhangers are created by cutting between two story lines. In soap operas it isn’t uncommon to return to each of the narratives, their conversation, at the precise moment it was left 54 . A specific sort of cliffhanger that is connected to soap operas is when a conversation is halted by an often shocking, sharp delivered statement to which none of the other characters react immediately. A close-up of the facial expression of the character uttering the statement or the character at whom the statement is directed, is held for several seconds, as the music swells. Then the commercials or the after titles start. This technique is called a "tag" by the soap opera industry 55 . The viewer is left wondering if there was any progress in the narrative this episode. The answer usually is: hardly. With these tactics, narratives that would take up an hour in real time can be spun out for an abundance of episodes. 13 Redundancy in narrative (Allen) In soap operas it is often more important to see which affect an event has on each of the characters, then the event itself. So a single event or circumstance can be drawn out for weeks.

14 I personally added the following: Repetition in recaps Soap operas are introduced with short scenes from previous episodes for the casual viewer to catch up with the important issues in the past of the characters that are essential for understanding the narratives in the succeeding episode.

53 Allen, “Audience-oriented criticism and television”, p. 104. 54 Bowles, “Soap Opera: ‘No end of story, ever’ ”, p.121. 55 Bowles, “Soap Opera: ‘No end of story, ever’ ”, p.121. 55 Thorburn, course: Programma . Universiteit Utrecht, 2007. 17 Moniek van der Kallen How to end the season of a formulaic series.

15 Characters have histories and memories. (Geraghty, Allen) Unlike the first television series that appeared on television, soap characters have histories and memories that resound in the conversations and in their actions. Constant viewers see a richer text than others, because the past also can be referred to, but is not explained. To borrow Ang’s example: a character refusing a drink gets extra meaningful when the viewer knows about an alcohol addiction in the character’s past 56 . All viewers must be able to understand the plot, but the serial also has to be consistent with its own past. As soap operas and a runtime that can span several decades, the producers aim at regular viewers, but also try to hook new viewers who would cease to watch if they don’t understand what is going on. So it is rare that a certain storyline hinges on events that are far in the past. If so, the past event will be worked into the dialogue to make it understandable for all viewers. And with soap operas having an occurrence of at least twice a week, the producers have to count on the possibility that even avid fans can’t watch every episode. But of course the recaps beginning the episodes largely take care of this problem.

16 Sense of a future / continuity . (Geraghty, Allen) There is a continual denial of final resolution. There never is a moment were all running narratives come to a close at the same time. Soap operas are designed to run on forever. Only temporary resolutions are achieved. Thus, the viewer can never look back at the created fictional world, but will always remain having, as Wolfgang Iser puts it, a “wandering viewpoint” 57 . The viewer can never look back and oversee the production as a whole, completed. The viewer has a ‘constantly changing position within the text itself.’ 58

56 Ang, “Melodramatic identifications”, p. 159. 57 Allen, “Audience-oriented criticism and television”, p. 105. 58 Allen, “Audience-oriented criticism and television”, p. 105. 18 1. Narrative strategies in HOUSE MD

Episode 1.01: Pilot 1. Building expectations for the series.

Characteristic of a pilot 2: introducing the characters, creating expectations.

From left to right the characters Dr. Eric Foreman, Dr. and Dr. Robert (House’s subordinates), in the middle lead character Dr. , then his boss Dr. and House’s friend and colleague Dr. . Source: http://xmages.net/out.php/i132161_HouseMDDoctorhouseseries.gif

In the pilot a kindergarten teacher collapses in class. The cynical doctor House and his newly assembled diagnostics team have to find out what’s ailing her in order to save her life. Dr. House even disobeys hospital policy to be able to do so, though hindered by his female boss Dr. Cuddy, and being advised against it by House’s best friend Dr. Wilson.

Being a first episode, there are a lot of introductions of characters and their different sets of problems. Only if we get curious about how the narrative of the characters will unfold, we keep tuning in. So the introduction of the characters is not only functioning as getting familiar with their characteristics, it’s used as a guideline for storylines to come. For this reason I will also introduce the main

characters of HOUSE MD to illustrate what expectancies the writers raise for this series.

1 HOUSE MD Episode 1.01: Pilot, 16 November 2004. 2 A pilot is always the first episode of a series. When an idea for a new series is approved, the first episode is made as a test. If it receives high scores with the network executives or the test audience, the project is green-lit and more episodes will be made. 19 Dr. House. Dr. Gregory House 3, the title-role, is introduced as a self-centered man. He is painfully honest to everyone around him, insulting the administration and the doctor’s on his team in the process. House is the head of a newly formed diagnostics team in the hospital Princeton Plainsboro. The goal of the team is to solve medical cases that other doctors couldn’t figure out. Because the pilot episode handled one important medical case for the length of the episode, the viewer can expect that this will be the formulaic format for every episode of the series. House loves to use his brain to figure out medical mysteries. To be able to do so, he likes to keep a distance from his patients and their emotions. He leaves the personal contact with the patients to his team members. House limps with his leg and walks with a cane. He experiences severe pain in this leg, for which he self medicates with the heavy pain medication Vicodin. The injury seems to have made him a bitter man. He says everybody lies, and condemns the people who do. House claims he himself never lies. It is interesting to see if House can keep up this ‘not lying’ strategy. In future episodes, House might be confronted about his addiction. The cause of House’s leg injury might be shown. The cause of House’s outspoken rejection of liars might be shown. All these posed mysteries probably will be resolved, but the question is how long the viewer has to wait until they will be. House makes rude jokes about Cuddy, Cameron and the patient, the three main female character of this episode. And the tested Cuddy is worthy to be House’s opponent, maybe even as House’s ‘other’? Actually there isn’t a direct indication of a love-interest for any of the characters. We see a first promising glimpse of another side of Dr. House after he has talked to the patient, therefore wanting to give in to her wishes. House proves to be able to be “serious when it’s important” and “compassionate” 4, even toward the patient to whom he seemingly didn’t seem to care about before. The glimpse of another side creates more sympathy for the character Dr. House, but it also creates expectations for the series. It indicates House will struggle with his need to be medically brilliant without being affected by the emotions and opinions of the

3 In the first episode we only get to know the characters by their last names, but to be complete I looked their first names up on the internet. Source: “HOUSE MD-guide. Guide to the TV show”, posted in 2004, hosted by: MIS, Inc. for Website Hosting, Development, Design & Promotion, http://www.housemd-guide.com/ 4 Barnett, Barbara, “HOUSE , MD's House and Wilson: a fine bro-mance”, (part of Welcome to the End of the Thought Process: House M.D. ), posted: 3 September 2008, http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/09/03/230742.php 20 patient. These possibilities are not presented with a cliffhanger. It is just presented as the premise of the series, the status quo of the characters. They are similar to but not the same as an opening mystery, as Ruven and Batavier describe the opening mystery as follows:

“In the beginning of the film, we are presented with a few puzzle pieces, which intrigue us; the opening mystery. We can not guess or oversee what the real problem is, but we get seduced by this ‘riddle’ to keep watching. The opening mystery gives excitement to everything that follows.” 5

Only in this case, it is not a film that starts with an opening mystery. The mystery doesn’t occur in the beginning of the episode, because not only the episode and its narratives are introduced; the riddles around House introduce the whole series.

Dr. Wilson Dr. James Wilson is House’s friend and colleague. He is an oncologist. Wilson puts the will of the patient and the practice of safe and legal medicine first. Wilson is the kind of person that thinks lying and deceiving a friend can be acceptable when it is for a good cause. In this case, telling House the patient is his cousin, it simultaneously helps House and his prospective patient. House only seems to give in to the request because of the personal connection to Wilson. This doesn’t make him a compassionate doctor, but a compassionate friend. Wilson is one of the few people that doesn’t seem offended by House’s demeanor. Still, he indirectly admits to the patient that House isn’t a good person, though he is a good doctor. Wilson understands House better than others do, certainly enough to manipulate him. House values Wilson as a friend; otherwise the personal angle of Wilson’s plea wouldn’t have worked. Although House despises lies and liars, he let’s his friend James Wilson’s lie slide. As House allows him to do so without getting mad, without retaliation, Wilson will keep on trying manipulating House and keeping him in (the for Wilson morally acceptable) line. This raises the question how long House will continue to let Wilson manipulate him. Also a valid question: can Wilson stay friends with House’s, although he admits House isn’t a nice person?

5 Translated by the writer of this thesis from: Ruven, P. and M. Batavier, Het Geheim van Hollywood, 2007, p. 53. 21 Dr. Cuddy. Dr. Lisa Cuddy is on the one hand House’s adversary; stopping the team from doing tests for House, retaliating his insults by teasing him with his disability, trying to stop him from treating patients based on guesses... She even goes so far as withholding testing facilities for one patient to blackmailing House in seeing clinic patients. But besides their mutual annoyance, they both demonstrate a certain delight in the witty banter they exchange. When in their first shared scene House tries to wiggle out of his clinic hours duty, Cuddy seemingly backs down. But she comes back with a verbal and an affective response, proving her to be equal and worthy. This could mean Cuddy is not only worthy as an enemy, but also worthy as the other (as in Ruven’s and Bataviers love step 2.II, see appendix 2). We expect to see more fireworks from this couple, during arguing but maybe also on another front. But this kind of romantic narrative will of course take a long time to develop; as a troubled romance is one of the main narrative tools television writers use to keep the audience of a series curious and watching. The promise of more fireworks is not an opening mystery, just a promise of more to come. It is not presented as a riddle, but a demonstration of how House and Cuddy interact in accordance with their characteristics. Cuddy respects House as a doctor, for his diagnostic skills. How rude he may be, he gets the job done. He saves lives. So Cuddy chooses to ignore House’s Vicodin addiction and his abrasiveness towards patients, for now anyway. But it poses the question for how long she will keep on ignoring these attributes of his, creating possible loss of donations and maybe law suit threats to the hospital. This is not even an opening mystery, but just a storyline left open. As Cuddy literally explains to the orange patient and thus to the viewers why she keeps up with House’s behavior:

“[…] you rightly think I should fire him, but I can’t even if it cost me your money, the son of a bitch is the best doctor we have.”

For now, as Cuddy isn’t prone to fire House for now, the both of them will at least keep on bickering over hospital policy and the treatment of patients again, medically and considering bed-side manners.

22 House’s differential team. House’s team exists of three other doctors, each with their own specialties 6. Dr Eric Foreman is a confident man. In result Foreman will often be the first to contradict House, to speak up. In this episode for instance, when he comments on House’s refusal to speak to the patients he treats. And when House orders all treatment to be stopped to be able to find out what causes Rebecca’s deteriorating brain, Foreman stands up for his own diagnosis. This demonstrates that the future holds more disagreements between the two. But although Foreman believes in his own diagnosis, he doesn’t follow through by acting on it. He honors rank and follows his bosses’ orders. How long will Foreman let House get the upper hand? Although Foreman isn’t afraid of speaking up to House, he still folds to House’s blackmailing him into breaking into the patient’s house. Foreman is described by House as a person who has “street smarts. […] Knows when you’re being conned, knows how to con.” Foreman values his job, working for House. He admires House for his diagnostic skills, so the blackmail works. Herein lies a promise of more conflict and eventually Foreman will rebel. But again this promise isn’t presented in an opening mystery. It is clear why Foreman would be upset. The only thing that is unclear is why House makes such vicious remarks. Dr. Allison Cameron doesn't agree with House, but doesn't oppose him or stands up to him either. She simply explains House's work method to Foreman. Cameron is inclined to think about the possible outcome: that by the time they know what’s killing Rebecca, it might already be too late. Cameron is the type of person that thinks about a patient’s emotional wellbeing. Cameron will keep on questioning House being right in the way he treats them on a personal level. Cameron thinks it okay to give a person false hope. The viewer might expect trouble this tactic might pose in the future. Creating false hope might also create disappointment, which can lead to expensive lawsuits. After Foreman’s discovery of the specific reason why he was hired, Cameron wants to know why she was. But House’s answer, “Because she’s pretty” doesn’t satisfy her. She is proud of her accomplishments, but apparently also needs House to deem them worthy. House explains that in spite of her prettiness, that makes life easier, she had the extra incentive to work hard and become a doctor. This extra motive was what

6 Later in the series we find out that Dr House is an infectious disease, Nephrology and Diagnostician specialist, Dr. Foreman is a neurologist, Dr. Cameron is an immunologist en Dr. Chase is a specialist in intensive care. Source: “HOUSE MD-guide” 2004, http://www.housemd- guide.com/ 23 made House pick her to complement his team. House deducted she must be damaged somehow, that there must be a reason for that extra incentive. Cameron doesn’t explain how she was damaged, but doesn’t deny it. Because House is directly trying to get Cameron to spill if and why she is damaged, the audience becomes curious as well. This creates an opening mystery. When discussing the morals of giving a patient false hope with Dr Cameron, Dr. does have a strong opinion on the matter. And to his equal he isn’t afraid to voice it. But he doesn’t seem to think his opinion on the matter is important enough to act on it. He doesn’t inform the patient the treatment she is receiving is based on a guess. Chase seems the most compliant of the three doctors on House’s team and the most reluctant to stand up for his believes and diagnoses. When House is through discussing his attitudes towards the “always lying patients”, Chase is the first one to comply to House’s efforts to change the subject by starting naming possible causes for the patients ailment. Though he doesn’t voice it in his first scene, where House makes his dislike of meeting patients apparent, later on we see that Chase cares about his patient. We learn that when he talks to the patient about the lack of visiting loved ones. When at the end of the episode he and Cameron bend hospital rules by letting non family (her students) visit the schoolteacher, it shows that he was very attentive to what the patient said. He thinks about her emotional wellbeing as well as her physical wellbeing. And sometimes Chase does undermine authority. But it isn’t directly House’s authority, but the “hospitals” authority.

Story endings. This episode has a few narratives that have an ending. The patient Rebecca has her happy ending: she is saved! She can return to her beloved life as a kindergarten teacher. Also the B-stories, other Mysteries of the week, which House solves easily, come to a conclusion. The narrative of the orange patient doesn’t have a happy ending though. His wife is indeed cheating on him. It is not sure what he will do with this information, but it indeed prompted him to take his wedding ring off. He will probably leave his wife. The self diagnosing hypochondriac turns out to be a gullible self-diagnosing hypochondriac. The man has no development, has no confrontation with his second choice life. House sees that the man will probably be “cured” when taking the placebo meds. House doesn’t lie, but doesn’t inform the man. He probably 24 thinks the man is unworthy, too dumb and stubborn to enlighten him or be taken serious. The narrative of the mother thinking the meds of her son were too heavy remains open ended. The mother is confronted with her not so smart declination of her son’s meds, but what will she do with it? House probably scared her into sense. The narrative served to illustrate House’s bluntness, his believe in medicine and his disinterest in the outcome. He made his diagnosis and he informed the patient and his mother, so he can move on to solving his other case. And the case caused House to get an epiphany on how to proceed with the case that is really puzzling him, the case he wants to be working on instead of talking to clinic patients. The lack of knowing what will be next for these clinic patients is because the narratives are serving another purpose then to tell you about the patients or to create suspense because of their serious illness, which is the case with the main medical mystery of the week. They paint a picture of House’s character traits. These closed narratives also heighten the sympathy of the audience for Dr. House. Because Dr House is shown using deduction skills and bold tries to cure the patient while other people can’t. The acknowledgement of his colleagues and even his boss for House’s genius also increases sympathy from the viewers.

Another narrative line reached an ending. Wilson turns out to have lied to House: the patient was not his cousin. Because House expressed his clear rejection of lies and liars, House’s team and the viewers with them, expected a consequent conflict between the two. But contradictory to our expectations, House let’s Wilson’s lie slide. Is this an ending, a narrative simply designed to demonstrate the depth of the friendship and respect House has towards Wilson? In my opinion it also has a purpose to demonstration of their contradictory sets of morals, holding promises for future conflict. In this way it works similar to the other introductions of character traits mentioned above in paragraph “Characteristic of a pilot 7: introducing the characters, creating expectations.”

7 A pilot is the first episode of a series. When an idea for a new series is approved, the first episode is made as a test. If it receives high scores with the test audience, the series is green-lit. 25 Promises for future conflict. The above described characters, with different character histories, traits and goals, present expected conflicts in the future. But the expectancies are presented in a more ambiguous way then as an opening mystery. They are part of:

1.Ib Introduction lead character in second choice life. Something is missing. 8

Every recurring character is of importance to the stories of the series, and must be presented in this way. If there wasn’t something missing, there wouldn’t be any conflict and without conflict there is no interesting narrative 9. The introductions and opposing characteristics of the characters make the viewer curious about future episodes. The introductions constitute a promise of future conflict. House will probably be confronted with his unreasonable en unattainable goal never to talk to his patients directly. Furthermore, his assumption that everybody lies will probably lead to him making wrong assumptions and thus wrong diagnoses. House’s characteristics will undoubtedly cause trouble between him and Cuddy. They will battle over House working for the hospitals clinic. Cuddy will struggle with House’s rudeness and disobeying hospital rules versus his value to the hospital. How far can House push the boundaries until Cuddy is forced to fire him? House will differ of opinion on medical diagnoses and ethical dilemmas with Cuddy, his team members, the patient and the patients’ family. House and Wilson will have different opinions about ethical decisions which might even cause a rift between these two unusual friends. How long will House let Wilson manipulate him, though he hates liars? How long will Wilson tolerate House’s rudeness? These possibilities are not presented with a cliffhanger or opening mystery. All narratives that are extensively addressed in this episode are resolved. Not a cliffhanger in the sense of ending at the exact moment that someone is in mortal danger. Or when someone makes a daunting statement and the episode ends before the other character can react. They aren’t opening mysteries if we use it in the way described by Ruven en Batavier: as puzzle pieces of a problem. Or predicaments beginning the episode to be followed by a flashback leading up to an explanation how this predicament could arise. The narratives on the character

8 Translated: Ruven, P. and M. Batavier, Het Geheim van Hollywood, 2007, p. 146. Zie ook app. 2. 9 Egri, Lajos, The art of dramatic writing. Its basis in the creative interpretation of human motives. New York, 2004, p. 133-142. 26 serialization level have only been introduced, and they make the viewer curious, no cliffhanger can ensue from the introduction stage in a narrative. The exception to the loose introductions of future conflict is the mention of Cameron’s damaged state. Her not denying she is damaged indicates House is right. She refuses to answer House what did the damage, leaving him and the audience guessing. This question is posed at the end, but not at the very end of the episode. It’s certainly no cliffhanger at the end of an episode. It seems to be more like an opening mystery: Why is Cameron damaged? It isn’t an opening mystery if we use it in the way that it is used in crime series, when in the first scenes the end result is shown, and the mystery is how and by whom it came to be 10 . And it is not a predicament beginning the episode, to be followed by a flashback leading up to an explanation how this predicament developed. But it is an opening mystery in the sense that a result shown, of which the origin is unclear. Two questions, opening mysteries that may rise but are not directly addressed by the characters are: What caused House’s chronic leg pain and consequent limp and Vicodin addiction? And is this chronic leg pain what caused House’s jaded disposition? These questions are just presented as the premise of the series, the status quo of the characters. They also represent another promise for future conflict.

Episode 1.22: The Honeymoon 11 . Starting new narratives instead of ending them.

Introducing a new romantic narrative, creating expectations. In episode 1.22 we find House in an environment we usually don’t see him, the restaurant. Last time House was in a restaurant, he was on a date with Cameron and he was looking very The Characters and House. Source: www.housemd-guide.com/images/house-stacy.jpg

10 Ruven, P. and M. Batavier, Het Geheim van Hollywood. , p. 53. 11 HOUSE MD Episode 1.22: The Honeymoon, 24 May 2005. Sources for this paragraph: -www..com - Barnett, Barbara, “Dr. Gregory House in love, part 1: of monster trucks and vindaloo curry”, (Part of Welcome to the End of the Thought Process: House M.D. ) posted: 1 December 2008. http://blogcritics.org/video/article/dr-gregory-house-in-love-part/ 27 uncomfortable in episode 1.20: 12 . With his Stacy Warner he looks more at ease. Stacy asked House to meet her and her husband at the restaurant because she noticed a difference in her husband. She asks House to examine her husband Mark, although Mark thinks nothing is wrong with him. But House has trouble being the objective and observant doctor he needs to be to solve this case. The aftermath of a failed date between Cameron and House and the aftermath of breaking up with Stacy complicate things.

Stacy and Mark Warner. During the first season, the audience was gradually informed of Stacy’s existence. Wilson warns Cameron before her date with House that “it’s been a long time since he’s [House] opened up to anyone. If he does and he’s hurt, there may not be another time.” (episode 1.20: Love Hurts). After the date with Cameron, House looks longingly at a picture of a woman. In the next episode 1.21: 13 , we see that woman, Stacy, walks back into House’s life. His guard is down for a minute and we see the love in his eyes, but he quickly recovers his natural satirical nature. Eventually House agrees to examine Stacy’s husband as a patient. So Stacy is already introduced before the viewer watches episode, 1.22: The Honeymoon. Stacy is a lawyer. She probably loves her work, she’s trying to get some work done (to occupy herself) while her husband is in surgery. She’s very intelligent; she’s an equal of House with her quick wits. Over and over their banter works as a test she passes with flying colors, proving Stacy to be worthy of being House’s other. That is to be expected as she is House’s ex. We believe Stacy to be an honorable woman. When she states to being faithful to her husband, you believe her. But although we believe this declaration of loyalty to her husband, we also believe her later confession of her unchanged love for House and her staying to work at the hospital an indicator of a future possibility that she might violate her vows to her husband Mark 14 . Mark is a high school counselor. Although is wife is convinced, he’s sick, he believes the opinion of his doctors that his symptoms are due to stress. He is very unwilling to be examined by House. When we first see Mark it doesn’t paint

12 HOUSE MD Episode 120: Love Hurts, 10 May 2005. 13 HOUSE MD Episode 1.21: Three Stories, 17 May 2005. 14 Later in the series Stacy will actually cheat on her husband Mark with House in HOUSE MD Episode 2.10 “”. 10 January 2006 Source: -Barnett, Barbara, “Dr. Gregory House in love, part 1”, 2008. 28 us a pretty picture. He gets sucked right into House’s testosterone display. Supposedly Mark normally isn’t that hostile or paranoid, Stacy claims the moodiness is a symptom. We’ll just have to take Stacy’s word for it.

During the episode Complicating House’s relationships concerning his love life. Because Stacy is introduced with hints throughout the first season, we already know House still loves Stacy, but was hurt by their break-up. Stacy coming back into House’s life is a recipe for trouble. Throughout the episode she and House share moments that acknowledge their shared history. They prove to know each other well. At the end of the episode their love for each other is evident. But of course their past conflict doesn’t take long to rise to the surface as well and old disagreements make evident why they separated before.

In between the pilot and the last episode of the season a crucial development between Cameron and House happened: they dated. Although House did mention he thinks of Cameron as a pretty girl, nice to look at, her disgruntled reaction didn’t really forebode a promising future as a couple. Who knew she be interested in dating House? And House is inappropriate remarks didn’t exactly indicate that he would really want to date her. Cameron having to blackmail him to do so, doesn’t scream romantic. In spite of House’s attraction and surprising sincere efforts to do well (him buying a corsage for Cameron and voicing his uncertainty about whether or not to give this “lame gift” her to Wilson 15 ) the date went very bad. Cameron was asking to directly about House’s feelings and he reacted by accusing her of only being interested in him because:

“You live under the delusion that you can fix everything that isn’t perfect. That’s why you married a man who was dying of cancer. You don’t love, you need. And now that your husband is dead, you’re looking for your new . That’s why you’re going out with me. I’m twice your age, I’m not great looking, I’m not charming, I’m not even nice. What I am is what you need. I’m damaged.” 16 .

So a viewer could assume this would be the end before the beginning of a possible love relationship between Cameron and House.

15 Barbara Barnett’s “Dr. Gregory House in love, part 1”, 2008. 16 Transcript HOUSE MD, episode 1.20, www.twiztv.com/scripts/house/season1/house-120.htm For other quotes of HOUSE MD in this esssay, transcripts were used from: http://www.twiztv.com/scripts/house/ 29 But in episode 1.22 The Honeymoon, Stacy tells Cameron their first date went badly but a relationship ensued anyway. If this were the end of the episode, this would be an opening mystery, or a promise of further romantic entanglement.

Complicating House’s ability to work life; is House able to make unbiased decisions despite his affiliation with the patient’s wife Stacy? The main narratives of this episode were the questions whether or not House is treating this case different from any other case and whether or not he’s trying to win Stacy back. And House indeed acts very out of character in this episode. He demonstrates that he doesn’t really believe that “Everybody lies” by taking the word of his ex over the findings of the patient’s doctors. He has trouble to remain indifferent, but not because of his empathy for the patient, but for his feelings for the patient’s wife. He’s not letting the team investigate the house of the patient immediately. He goes to get a patient history himself instead of getting the team to do it. Only he doesn’t do it to be a doctor with good bedside manners, but to harass Mark. Furthermore, he talks honestly to Stacy about his doubts about not being able to solve the case. During the scene in the bar it turns out House himself doesn’t even want know if he wants to be with Stacy or if he wants to get back at her. And his later conversation with Stacy reveals that House is still mad at Stacy for choosing to save his life but simultaneously causing him to limp. His feelings are expressed when he and Stacy have a loud fight.

STACY: Give him the cocktail, set off an attack. HOUSE: No. STACY: Why not? HOUSE: Because he doesn’t want me to. STACY: I’m not going to sue you. I’m not going to report you. HOUSE: He might. STACY: He’s paralyzed! Either you cure him, or he won’t be writing any letters. HOUSE: I’m not gonna do it. STACY: Why not? HOUSE: You keep asking me that question; my answer doesn’t change. I gave him the parameters, it’s his call. STACY: You want him to die. HOUSE: I diagnosed him, I did my job. You want somebody to tie him down and force him into treatment, well, you’re way better at that than I am.

30 STACY: Is that what this is? Payback for your leg? How many times have we been over this; I saved your life. HOUSE: Yeah, maybe. STACY: You’re going to kill my husband to teach me a lesson? HOUSE: No, he’s going to die because he’s too stubborn to make the right choice. STACY: Now we’re in your territory. HOUSE: I’m respecting your husband’s decision, I don’t see why you’ve got a problem with that. STACY: Because it’s crap! Because you browbeat patients, intimidate them, lie to them. If you think you’re right you don’t give a damn what they think. I did what you do all the time, the only difference is I did it to you. HOUSE: He’ll never forgive you. STACY: Yeah, HE will.

It confirms that House doesn’t only treat the case differently from other cases because of the patient being the husband of his ex. He also treats the case different because he feels this case is similar to his own experience when sustaining his leg injury. Stacy did what she thought was the right thing to do:

“In her mind, she was saving the life of a man with whom she was deeply involved and whom she loved. She couldn’t understand House’s resolve to die rather than live as an amputee. House’s fears seemed irrational to her and driven by his situation. But even knowing that House would end up hating her, Stacy defied House’s wishes, saving his life (in her opinion) at the sure cost of destroying their relationship”. 17

Thus the question we were facing when we learned House has an ex, why did they break up, why did House end up so hurt, is now answered. But Stacy tells Cameron that House was pretty the same grumpy man before he sustained the injury in his leg. The opening mystery is re-opened: why is House so sarcastic and hostile. Why House is so bitter remains a mystery, even a bigger mystery than in episode one. He is not bitter for the most obvious reasons, being slightly disabled or experiencing chronicle pain. May we found out soon?

Hardly any narrative progress, promises for future conflict. House makes no progress, remains in his second choice life; promise of future conflict. House hasn’t lost all his bad habits. He still makes sexist and racist to his co- workers, subordinates and superiors, it doesn’t matter to him. He is still pops pills

17 Barnett, Barbara, “Dr. Gregory House in love, part 1”, 2008. 31 and, in addition, is drinking a lot. House sort of gets confronted with his drinking by his team staring at his liquor bottle, but House tells them to ignore it, and they do. Chase notices him keeping amphetamines for himself but doesn’t make a remark when Foreman doesn’t either. So House is still living his second choice life when it comes to those parts of his life.

The friendship with Wilson remains solid, still there is promise of future conflict. The relationship of Wilson and House is again shown as a deep connection, though not expressed in a manifest matter. But Wilson’s concern for House, warning him to stay away from Stacy, is a clear indicator. Besides wanting to guard House from getting hurt, it also could be seen as not only an effort to keep House from an immoral path, getting involved with a married woman. When House is sitting in a bar and evidently called Wilson to come talk to him, Wilson mentions his wife is going to be furious; Wilson left his wife and company to talk to talk to House. And House seems to want to talk about a trifling subject: the teddy bear Wilson gave to show his support to Stacy and Mark. Wilson angering his wife to talk to House points us towards Wilson’s conscious self-sacrificial nature when it comes to House. Wilson is risking a marital feud to rush to House’s side, not even knowing if it concerns an important matter or not. But of course it just takes House some time and jokes before he gets to the heart of the matter, but the subject is severe. The scene establishes both Wilson and House in their second choice life.

The relationships between House and his team: promise of future conflict. In episode 1.22 The Honeymoon, Cameron is still concerned with the emotional wellbeing of the patient, stating it must be hard being treated by the ex of your wife, a comment that isn’t appreciated by the patient Mark. It works as establishing (instead of introducing) the character Cameron in her second choice life. Foreman stayed pretty much the same guy you would suspect him to be after seeing episode one. He still is the first to question House on treatments of the patients, medically and morally. But he still doesn’t really react to racial insults like “dark one”. Foreman doesn’t complain or object, he just shakes his head, looking grumpy. One day he will get sick of the insults but the question is not

32 “will he”, but “ when will he stand up for himself” and it’s not a new question. So this is no opening mystery but establishing the character in his second choice life. Chase seemingly stands up to House when he makes the joke about immediately breaking into Stacy and Mark’s house. But he still is the compliant person in the team, not daring to depend on his own judgment concerning Mark switching from mountain biking to yoga. Neither does he comment on House pocketing the amphetamines he and Foreman found in Mark’s desk when he sees Foreman doesn’t comment either. He does stand up to House, when House is neglecting the patient’s wish to not have an attack induced, but only after Foreman and Cameron lead the way. And seconds later, he seems to understand that it is not like House to back off because his team said so, but doesn’t follow this hunch with any action. Thus House gets away with calling Chase a (submissive) dog, Sparky, and a coward. House also explicitly congratulates Foreman on his initiative, thus emphasizing that another person of the team lacks initiative. Like with Cameron and Foreman this characteristic of Chase does not function as an opening mystery but as establishing the character Chase in his second choice life.

Ending the episode Moments of temporary resolution. The possibility of further romantic developments between Cameron and House crumbles when Cameron realizes that the House is capable of love and of showing this love, just not for her. So she chooses to back off. Although she does this probably thinking that his relationship with Stacy has no real future, his love for Stacy seemingly unrequited 18 . A future romantic development between Stacy and House could mean further jealousy from Cameron. Future romantic developments between Cameron and House are not likely, but not impossible. So you might say, the narrative ends in a moment of temporary resolution; Cameron seemingly resigning in the knowledge House doesn’t like Cameron as much as he does Stacy. Still, this is not close to a being a happy moment of temporary resolution. The patient Mark Warner, besides being disgruntled because his wishes about the treatment were neglected, gets the indispensable happy ending: he is saved! So if it were concerning any other case we would not hear from Mark

18 That Cameron only backs off after Stacy and Mark have they’re seemingly happy end was a realization I had only after reading: Barbara Barnett’s “Dr. Gregory House in love, part 1”, 2008. 33 Warner again. He would be free to live a happy life with his spouse. But in this case, his troubles aren’t over yet at the end of the episode. His wife Stacy confessed to her ex House that she is still in love with him, furthermore, House will always be the one for her. And although she rationally decided to be with Mark, with whom she doesn’t feel so alone, her calling House ‘the one’ is an indicator she might get tempted to get back with him. So Mark’s seemingly happy ending is actually a moment of temporary resolution. Certainly as at the end of the episode House agrees with Stacy getting a job at the hospital. Now Stacy’s resolve to settle with the man that is good to her might not hold. She is not in a position to ‘forget’ about House anymore.

Intensifying a problem; promise of future conflict. To Cuddy, and to the audience, the straight reply House gives to Cuddy’s question if he would be okay with Stacy working at the hospital for a while, is strikingly different from the way he normally reacts to questions relating to his personal life: not answering directly and by making a joke out of it. And consequently Cuddy looks worried. Is she worried for the work performance of one of the best assets of the hospital, or is she worried for House on a personal level? It is striking that the writers of the series choose to present the possibility of Stacy staying through Cuddy. After a whole episode without even a mention of her existence we see her and House doing their old dance; him making sexually harassing jokes, she ignoring them. After all the banter between Stacy and House it is hard to miss the similarity between the dynamics of the two couples. Though Cuddy and House share this last scene, the most pressing question that concerns the viewer is how Stacy presence is going to affect House. So is this ending of the season the traditional cliffhanger? No life is hanging in the balance, at least not at the end of this episode. Is it a cliffhanger on the character serialization level then? No. House didn’t profess his love for Stacy just before the end titles, leaving the audience on the edge of their seat, waiting for a reaction from Stacy; the audience is left wondering what the future holds, but not what is next . It also isn’t an opening mystery, revealing the end result to make the viewer curious about how it came to be. The episode ends with a seemingly happy end that actually is a moment of temporary resolution for Stacy and Mark. But the last in the last scenes, the problem of Stacy staying in the hospital, intensifies the problem of House not being capable to function at is job or as a human being:

34 2.II The problem get’s bigger, more forceful.

But the problem is not introduced with an opening mystery, as the Ruven & Batavier schedule suggests. It does however raise the question what will happen next. Whatever the outcome may be, further conflict is promised: how is House going to cope with Stacy staying, working at his workplace? House valuing himself by his mental abilities in the workplace, might not perform as well with Stacy around. This would consequently devaluate his already fragile (because of his limp) self-confidence.

Episode 2.01: Acceptance. Sketching the new situation.

In episode 2.01 the case of a death row prisoner stirs up a lot of debate within the Plainsborough hospital, whether or not House and the team are wasting time on this case 19 . The death row prisoner makes Foreman think about the choices he made in his life and what other people think of him. In the mean time House and Stacy have to find a way to work in the same hospital, and Cameron is confronted with her tendency to emotionally connecting with her patients when she refuses to tell a young woman she is terminally ill.

Reintroducing the characters, getting to know the characters pasts. The characters are not completely reintroduced, but a couple of scenes do mark their basic characteristics and their relationships.

Dr. House. House is reintroduced as insulting jerk, with a soft spot for Stacy. Cameron reminds the team and thus the viewers that House usually doesn’t talk to patients. But in this case he does, even telling the death row guy he could have had Cameron, but didn’t. Cameron also reminds the viewers about House’s theory that everybody lies, in this case however, House seems to believe the patient, a death row prisoner no less.

19 HOUSE MD Episode 2.01: Acceptance, 13 September 2005. 35 Dr. Wilson Dr Wilson is reintroduced as the concerned friend, who tries to get House to deal with his feelings about Stacy getting a job in the hospital. Also, Wilson is given more depth when trying to get Cameron to keep more distance from her patient. Wilson cares about his patients a lot and takes a lot of crap from his friend House, but he doesn’t get too close to his patients. This is unlike his gentile nature, but as he tells Cameron, he knows better from experience: Wilson: "It's not your job to be her friend. Do you understand? And it's not worth it. She feels better her few final days, and you're not the same, maybe for years." Cameron: "You don't think it's worth it." Wilson: "I know it's not worth it."

Stacy Warner. Stacy is introduced as the hospital’s attorney. She has a romantic past with House, but reminds him she met someone else since. Wilson was reintroduced as the oncologist who is also an old friend of both Stacy and House. He reminds House and the viewers that House still wants Stacy back. Both Stacy and House are reestablished as both loving their work, love excelling at it and using their intelligence. When House makes a comment about a colleague of his being a drunk, Cuddy points out to him and the viewers that House has a Vicodin addiction. And later in the episode we see House binge-drinking during his work again. Even House’s aversion to doing the clinic hours and Cuddy trying to get him to do them anyway, is reintroduced as House says he will do clinic hours in order to get to see the patient he wants to examine.

Dr. Cuddy. House and Cuddy are reintroduced as the each others equals in their ongoing battle in getting what they want from the other. But this time Stacy, by House’s abuse of her trust, gets in the crosshairs. Stacy explains Cuddy’s choice (shown in episode 1.22) to get Stacy to work at the hospital was made because she thought Stacy would be able to see through House’s deceptions. House used to trust Stacy. Cuddy tells House if he had problems with Stacy he should have said so, referring to the last episode of the previous season.

36 House’s differential team. Cameron and Chase are reintroduced as the doctors on House’s team willing to do his dirty work for him. Chase is again established as the insecure employee. Chase says he is against the death penalty on principle, but to watch a murderer die causes him less grief than annoying his boss. Often he looks to Foreman instead of following his instincts and speaking up himself. Foreman is reintroduced as the doctor with a juvenile record, growing up in a tough neighborhood, House harassing him about it. The patient functions as a start for Foreman to think about how he is viewed by other people when Clarence asks him: “Can you imagine your whole life being all about the worsted thing you ever did?”. Cameron’s tendency to get emotionally involved with patients is not only reintroduced but brought to the foreground as a B-story. Her past, marrying a man diagnosed with terminal cancer, is brought up because of this tendency.

During the episode. Seemingly solving, rather than intensifying and clarifying the problem. At the beginning of the episode we soon get to know that House evaded Stacy and thus ignored the problem. But Cuddy confronts him: ignoring Stacy might cause problems as well. Cuddy tells him that with Stacy in the room. House uses his usual defense: not showing emotions and being rude and insulting to both Cuddy and Stacy. During the episode the problem seems solved after Cuddy’s involvement, as when we find House asked Stacy to help him with court order. Alas, this happy end is soon retracted as it becomes clear that House misled Stacy and simultaneously undermined Cuddy’s authority. Cuddy’s strategy to have someone on her side that knows House and see through his ruses, is failing horribly so far. Because of Wilson’s advice, House tries to show Stacy he trusts her by telling her information that Cuddy can’t know. But of course Stacy feels obligated to do her job and she tells Cuddy anyway, thinking she did the right thing. In the middle of House scolding her that the problem is that everybody only does things because they think it is the right thing to do, he gets an epiphany about how to cure the patient. So their argument and thus their problem of lack of trust in left hanging in the air, promising further conflict. Compared to the last episode, the

37 problem is just clarified. Where The lack of trust and the consequent hurt is a clear example of why House and Stacy can’t function as co-workers.

Ending the episode Story endings Clarence’s narrative ends. He is cured but still is on death row. Foreman is willing to speak at an appeal hearing on his account, stating that his illness boosted his adrenaline and might have caused his murderous nature, but there are no guarantees it will work. So it is not a very happy ending. The narrative of Cameron’s patient ended badly as Cameron had to tell her she is terminally ill. But it could be that we follow Cameron’s further agonizing try to ease her patients suffering by being her friend in following episodes.

Hardly any narrative progress, promises for future conflict. Cameron’s tendency to get emotionally involved with her patients becomes the secondary narrative. House (by manipulating her, making jokes at her expense) is not the only on who’s trying to get Cameron to tell her patient she’s dying. In this episode, besides being House’s moral compass, Wilson takes on guiding Cameron in the right moral direction, and the right way to avoid getting hurt. Cameron tries to ignore the facts: the young woman who came in for a routine health check has N-stage lung-cancer, the lethal stage. Even Wilson, the friendliest self-sacrificing doctor of the doctors at Plainsborough hospital, advises her that getting so involved isn’t worth it. She’d end up so distraught that your functioning as a doctor is compromised for months. After trying to get several second opinions, and different strategies to cure the cancer, Cameron is eventually forced to tell the patient what she has known all along. The narrative doesn’t end with a cliffhanger as all her plans to save her patient have failed, she tells her patient to end this narrative. She does however simultaneously hold on to her old strategy: being a friend for the patient. She is confronted with her problem by House and Wilson, but still holds on. She rationalizes it with:

“If I hadn’t married him [Cameron’s husband that died of cancer], he was alone. When a good person dies, there should be an impact on the world. Somebody should notice, somebody should be upset”.

Cameron doesn’t decide to voluntarily solve the problem, quite the opposite: she voluntarily decides to neglect Wilson’s good intended advice and dismiss his

38 experience in the matter. She voluntarily chooses to hold on to this tendency. As the problem is unresolved and ignored, gives us a promise of future conflict. Foreman still is the first to question House’s judgment. But though he still neglects racial insults, he is offended by being compared to the death row patient Clarence. Foreman is confronted that he only dismisses Clarence upbringing part of the reason why Clarence became a murderer, as Foreman overcame the same kind of upbringing. Clarence makes him think about whether or not Foreman himself is viewed as the thief, being judged for the worst thing in his life he ever did. Clarence confronts Foreman with his problem (story step 1.III). Chase seemingly stands up to House when he doesn’t question the inmates about Clarence, but he still thinks of a way to try to serve House by searching the patient’s cells. When he doesn’t follow House’s reasoning he looks to Foreman to find out what he means. Chase is established in his second choice life. Wilson is displayed as the loyal friend, guiding House and Cameron to more honest relationship with people, respectively House’s ex Stacy and Cameron’s dying patient. Wilson is established as the loyal friend again. But the storyline also shows that Wilson learned the hard way not to get too much involve with dying patients, which is altruistic nature makes him prone to. He already learned to distance himself from dying patients for his own protection, but is still inclined to put House’s wellbeing before his own. Thus Wilson is established in his Second Choice life.

House’s seems to abandon his own theory “Everybody lies”, when he believes a death row prisoner really is sick and isn’t using sickness as an excuse to get out his death row cell. But otherwise House didn’t change much. He is still pops pills and gets drunk during working hours, which he doesn’t see as a problem, as long as he functions properly as a doctor. House is still difficult to work with for all of his colleagues. He likes making people uncomfortable, like when he sends Chase instead of the volunteering Foreman to the prison. House is reintroduced and established in his second choice life. The question why House is so bitter remains a mystery. But he does make an effort to try and trust Stacy again. After Wilson telling him to try a new strategy, he will need Stacy’s help once in a while; House tries a new plan for being as content as he can be given the new situation.

39 Complicating House’s relationships concerning his love life. Cameron and House had a failed date during season one. At the end of season one, Cameron found out that House isn’t incapable of love, but just isn’t in love with her. She seemed to accept this fact, but in this episode 2.01 she lashes out to House. She thinks House treats her differently because she had a crush on him. “I’m over you. I’ve jumped on the bandwagon, I hate you, okay?”. But he just wants her to tell her patient she’s dying. The moment of temporary resolution which ended House’s and Cameron’s narrative in episode 1.22 is already shaken up. Cameron is far too responsive to House’s badgering for her to be totally over him, so this dialogue serves as a reminder that there might be future conflict concerning this narrative.

Dr House seemed to sympathize with Clarence, talking to him, drinking with him, and doesn’t agree with the death penalty. But talking to Foreman at the end of the episode, it turns out House still thinks the man is responsible for his actions. He scoffs at Foreman rejecting upbringing as reason for leniency on Clarence’s murder charges, but willingness to testify that a tumor was the reason for Clarence’s murderous nature. He says Foreman must beware that there are numerous men with the same condition who managed to suppress any murderous tendencies. The patient, death row inmate Clarence gets a semi happy ending. He is saved! But thus has to return to his cell on death row. Still the tumor that caused his illness is at least part of the reason for his violent outbursts, and he gained a physician, Foreman, who’s willing to testify on his behalf. Cuddy seemed worried about House’s (emotional) response to working with Stacy. Still she choose to offer Stacy a job at the hospital, as it turns out in this episode to at least have someone on staff who can see through House’s ‘bullshit’. But her plan backfires. House seems to have returned to his normal difficult self, trying to annoy Stacy and Cuddy alike. But still House, after Wilson insisting on it, makes an effort to renew the trust between him and Stacy, not between him and Cuddy! Their squabbling status quo is reestablished. Other sides of their relationship aren’t addressed in this episode. Mark is out of the picture for the duration of this episode. He’s only mentioned by Wilson when he jokingly refers to House’s secret agenda for Stacy to fall in love with House again and to leave her husband.

40 So how is House coping with Stacy working in the hospital? He’s trying to get back his normal demeanor, which is a better state than we saw him in when confronted by Cuddy with the question whether or not Stacy could stay. Our expectations for the new seasons are slightly revised, as any the romantic feelings between House and Cuddy are left out in this episode. Only the unease of their history is accentuated. The viewer still expects trouble between House and Stacy further down the line, but not as pressing and immediate as was expected after episode 1.22. The episode ends with House ignoring him being stuck in the depressed stage of grief. He sits drinking in his office, looking at the board where the steps of grief, depression and acceptance are still visible. Then he wipes them out. Is he grieving for his leg? For Stacy? For both? House might have chosen a new tactic concerning his behavior towards Stacy. But he still isn’t with her. Furthermore, his drinking, his sadness, his loneliness is unchanged. He is still stuck in the grieving stage, stuck in his second choice life. His latest plans to improve their relationship failed. There is a moment of temporary resolution, but not a happy one. House’s current neglect of the problem, will lead to further conflict in the future.

Other season transitions.

2.24: No Reason (Part 1) and 3.01: Meanings (Part 2). Will House get rid of his limp and be happy? House is operated on because he was shot by a disgruntled patient. Dr. Cuddy administers an experimental treatment to try and get rid of the pain in his leg, but during the episode it turns out the treatment messes with his mental abilities. At the end of the episode it turns out House had been unconscious and hallucinating since he was shot. He briefly comes to, instructing Cuddy that while he’s in surgery, he simultaneously wants to receive the experimental treatment for his leg pains, a ketamine induced coma. So in spite of the possible loss of his mental prowess, he decides getting rid of his chronicle pain is worth it. He chooses to voluntarily solve the problem (Story Step 2.V). This last scene comes closer to a cliffhanger than the end scene of the previous season. The narrative ends with House just going into possible life threatening and certainly mental abilities threatening surgery. Though the

41 narrative doesn’t stop with House laying on the surgery table and him having a heart-attack or the moment he wakes up and will find out if he still has leg pains. The viewer wonders what will happen, but not what will happen the next instant. That this particular episode is closer to a cliffhanger then for instance episode 1.22 is not surprising, as episode 2.24 is presented as the first part of a double narrative; the narrative is intercut halfway through, to be able to be continued in episode 3.01. This ending of the season seems to be similar to an opening mystery, as it instigates many questions: will House survive the surgery 20 ? Will he loose the leg pains and thus his dependence on Vicodin? Or will he loose his talent for diagnostics? But again it is not an opening mystery as Ruven en Batavier would describe it, not only pieces of the puzzle. In this example the whole dilemma with it’s pro’s and con’s have been weighed. During the episode House undergoes Story Step 2: Deliberation:

2.I The lead character examines pro’s and con’s. 2.II The problem gets, bigger. 2.III The lead character gets in a Lock with the problem. 2.IV A dilemma is the result. 2.V Lead chooses to voluntarily solve the problem.

To solve the problem House has a plan. The episode ends with the plan set in motion. The curiosity of the viewers is aroused because the result of the plan isn’t shown. If the plan works House might change his attitude and thus his relationships toward others. Maybe he will even try to have a romantic relationship. If the plan doesn’t work the problem is intensified. If the plan does work for reducing the leg pain but does damage to House’s mental abilities, a new problem is presented. In short the plan might work or fail, but either way, the plan will have repercussions. It constitutes a pause in the narrative that seems like a cliffhanger. It forecasts more titillating conflicts and problems.

After the obligatory opening mystery of the mystery of the week, the new season begins in episode 3.01: Meanings 21 with House not limping, but running, al his way to work. The weeks of painful, nerve –wrecking rehabilitation are skipped. So the start of the episode presents that the plan worked: the ketamine coma

20 Although the viewers could turn to the internet to find out that the series was already picked up for another season, making it probable that House will survive. 21 HOUSE MD Episode 2.24: Meanings (Part 2), 5 September 2006. 42 worked. House’s nerves are restarted and the chronic pain in his leg is gone. Now House is starting work, it’s only the question if the ketamine damaged his brain. During the episode it becomes clear: House even seems to be better than ever concerning his mental abilities. House is so smug with himself that Cuddy and Wilson think it necessary to not inform House that his hunch about being able to cure a catatonic patient was right. Will the relationship between Cuddy and House or Wilson and House change now they lied to him about his hunch being right? So the best possible outcome of the plan is shown. This seems odd to forgo this opportunity for drama. However, during the episode little hints of returning leg pain are given to the viewers, but House doesn’t inform the other characters. And thus the drama is back. The outcome that the plan worked is retracted. The rest of the season will probably bring even more trouble with addiction and a depressed House, seeing as he is slowly regressing to his limp and his life of pain. Just when House has a taste of what his life could be like if his leg pain and his handicap were gone, the pain is coming back:

2.II The problem gets bigger, more forceful

House regresses to his old plan of dealing with his leg; depression and self- medication. House even betrays the trust of his only friend, Wilson, to forge a receipt for new Vicodin. This is not a cliffhanger, as Wilson doesn’t walk in on House stealing the prescription and the episode ending before Wilson’s reaction is shown. A plan is formed and executed, but the repercussions of the plan are not divulged yet. A new problem or a new side-effect of the same problem is introduced: House still needs Vicodin to manage his pain and he now even forces prescriptions to get his hands on it. There is a promise of future conflict between Wilson and House because of this betrayal and conflict between House and Cuddy because of his returned addiction.

3.24: Human Error and 4.01: Alone. Big cast changes, setting the new stage. In episode 3.24: Human Error, a Cuban couple risk their lives so the woman, who has pains all over her body, can become House’s patient 22 . But House is busier

22 HOUSE MD Episode 3.24: Human Error, 29 May 2007. 43 with trouble with his team members. Foreman deliberates whether or not to leave the team, he’s afraid he will become as indifferent to his patients as House is:

2.I The lead character examines pro’s and con’s.

A new problem is presented as Wilson points out that House is not good with change; he is still playing the same guitar since middle school. Wilson advises House to let Foreman see House’s softer side to convince Foreman to stay. Instead House uses the tactic to agree with all Foreman’s decisions. Chase interestingly enough shows initiative, questioning House’s interest in curing the patient, which leads House to fire Chase. Cameron, who slept with Chase but didn’t give in to his further advances, finally admits to Chase that she likes him too. She gives House her letter of resignation. House is surprised but not really upset as the husband of the Cuban couple notices. The episode ends with House buying a new guitar. House seems to be able to cope with these big changes in his life just fine. He embraces change;

2.V The lead chooses to voluntarily solve the problem.

The episode introduced a new problem, then at the end of the episode negates the problem, as House now seems ready for some change. Even in the security and privacy of his own home, in which we usually see a pensive and regretful House, we now see House making an effort to move on. But is this an act, or the real deal? Is this only a phase or will the hurt of being left by his team members rear his head later? There is no cliffhanger, just a momentary pause in the narrative. House took on a new plan to deal with the problem and so far it seems to work. Only time will tell if it stays this way. Though his team quitting would indicate a sad ‘ending’, House’s ability to cope might be seen as a temporal happy stage, a moment of temporary resolution. Although the viewer knows that House doesn’t only have to resign at his old team quitting, he will also have to hire and get used to a new team. So therein lays the promise of future conflict.

Without a team in episode 4.01: Alone, during the summer break the narrative looped back: House’s previous attempt to embrace change is half retracted, as he refused to hire a new team. During this episode House comes up with all kinds of plans to function without a team. He tries to differentiate using a janitor, Wilson,

44 Cuddy and other doctor to bounce off a differential and to break into the patient’s house or talk to the family of patients 23 . Wilson comes up with a plan to achieve the opposite; kidnaps House’s guitar to convince House to interview for a new team. House doesn’t give in, but at the end of the episode has the epiphany (Story Step 5.IV) that even he sometimes makes mistakes and he needs a team to keep him sharp. So with some delay he does embrace change, as was predicted at the end of episode 3.24. Episode 4.01 ends with House announcing a drop out race to assemble a new team to a room full of candidates. With his new plan House still holds on to his second choice life, authority defying demeanor. It is not the kind of plan Wilson had in mind. Starting a drop out race is a promise of a season of more displays of typical House antics: badgering of (possible) employees, more fights with Cuddy who won’t agree with House’s tactics and more attempts of moral guidance from Wilson. A new plan is hatched and the execution started, the repercussions still unknown. House’s announcement can be seen as a cliffhanger. House is talking to a classroom of possible candidates for his new team, but we don’t get to see who they are and what their reactions to his proposed fall-out race are. This entails a commitment for presenting new interesting characters that will form House’s team in the new season. The race sets the stage for heightened conflict between House and the candidates and the race encourages competitions between the participants.

4.15: House’s Head (Part 1), 4.16: Wilson’s Heart (Part 2) and 5.01: Dying Changes Everything. The ‘bromance’ cliffhanger. During season 4 House chooses a new team. Foreman is back on House’s service. Chase works in the hospital as a surgeon, Cameron as a doctor in the ER. Wilson gets a new girlfriend, which happens to be the last person to get cut from House’s team. The season ending of season 4 consists of a double episode: 4.15 en 4.16 24 .

23 HOUSE MD Episode 4.01: Alone, 25 September 2007. 24 HOUSE MD Episode 4.15: House’s Head (Part 1), 12 may 2008. HOUSE MD Episode 4.16: Wilson’s Heart (Part 2), 19 may 2008. This season consists only of 16 episodes because of the Writers Guild of America strike. Television and film writers went on strike from November 2007 until February 2008 to enforce higher wages. Writers of HOUSE MD thus didn’t get to work out the Cuddy/ House narrative as much as they wanted, there was no more time. Sources: -The New York Times, “The 110-day writers’strike: A timeline” , The New York Times, New York, 12 February 2008. http://tvdecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/12/the-100-day-writers-strike-a-timeline/ -Barnett, Barbara, “Dr. Gregory House in love, part 2: Cuddy – The thin line between love and Hate”, (part of Welcome to the End of the Thought Process: House M.D. ), posted: 15 December 2008. http://blogcritics.org/video/article/house-in-love-part-2-cuddy/page-6/ 45 This season’s finale somewhat breaks with the procedural mystery of the week formula. Episode 4.16: Wilson’s Heart, is the only episode of HOUSE MD that uses a “previously on House” sequence recapping episode 4.15. Episode 4.15 follows the typical mystery of the week formula, but not with the typical patient. The opening mystery shows House, confused, finding himself in a strip club with a head wound and no memory of the last day. He quickly finds out he was in a bus accident. House has the notion that someone was about to die just before the accident, but he can’t remember who. He endangers his life to find out who it is. It is remarkable that the episode doesn’t end with the cliffhanger when House’s life is in danger while trying to figure it out. With House we get to see that it is Amber who House fears is in mortal danger. At first Wilson believes House was just fantasizing about Wilson’s girlfriend. The episode ends with asking Wilson about a distinctive birthmark and House telling him: “She was on the bus with me. She’s the one who’s dying.” We see a close-up of House’s face when he states (for the second time) that it was Amber who was with him on the bus. Episode 4.16 starts with Wilson and House in another hospital, trying to figure out what is wrong with Amber. To be able to make all the decisions concerning her health Wilson lies about being her husband and they transfer her to Plainsborough Hospital. Wilson asks why House and Amber were on the same bus in the middle of the night on suspicion of them having an affair. Meanwhile House again endangers his life to be able to figure out what’s wrong with her. He has The character Amber Volakis. She a heart attack; Cuddy gives him mouth-to-mouth didn’t make House’s team and later became Wilson’s girlfriend. to save his life. He eventually finds out, that Source: www.tv- guide.com/images/pgimg.house- Amber came to pick up a drunk House. The 10245 bartender confiscated House’s keys and Wilson, who House called to pick him up, was working. Amber can’t be saved. The new team says goodbye to Amber while House is still in a coma. House, in his subconscious, has a conversation with Amber in which finally reveals his feelings

- Keveney, Bill "How TV's hottest shows are getting back on track". USA Today, posted: 28 February, 2008. http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2008-02-28-8-pieces_N.htm 46 about not wanting to live in pain, not wanting to feel miserable. As a well known phrase used among addicts at the Alcoholics Anonymous says: admitting you have a problem is the first step in solving it. So this admittance might be indicating that in the next season House will probably put more effort in trying to become happy. It will be interesting to see what House thinks will lead to this happiness. House also tells Amber he doesn’t want to lose Wilson as a friend, introducing new problem, but without an opening mystery. Amber replies with a line he himself used several times, quoting a Rolling Stones song: “Well, you can't always get what you want”. House opens his eyes to find Cuddy asleep by his bed. Wilson stands at the door and they exchange glances, then Wilson leaves. New team member Taub gets into bed fully clothed to give his sleeping wife a big hug. Kutner is sitting alone in his room eating cereal and watching TV. Foreman sits alone in a bar, but is somewhat cheered up when joined by Chase and Cameron. Dr. Remy “Thirteen” Hadley’s problem is intensified, as test results validate her fear; she tests positive for Huntington's disease. Wilson goes home to

From left to right the new team members Dr. , Dr. Remy “Thirteen” Hadley and Dr. , Dr. House, and Foreman who returned to House’s team. Source: http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/435/20923466140943d60ec8rm4 find a note of Amber telling him he went to pick up House. Wilson lies down on his bed, crumples the note and cries. We see Cuddy's face, she's still sleeping. House is lying in his hospital bed, wide awake.

47 We don’t see a cliffhanger before Wilson reacts to Ambers death, or a freeze frame when he looks at House and we have to guess what will be his reaction. Instead we see a montage how Cuddy reacts to House being in the hospital, Wilson to Amber’s death and House’s (former) team members reaction to the confrontation with mortality. House’s fear that Wilson might be angry with him is acknowledged. The conflict itself is obvious, not an opening mystery. It is clear that Wilson doesn’t want be with House anymore. The conflict is introduced and House is confronted with it:

1.III Confrontation of lead character with the problem.

This confrontation concludes the opening Story Step 1, the introduction but without an opening mystery. It does give a promise to elaborate further on the character serialization level about the rift that this accident has caused between Wilson and House following with other Story Steps. The confrontation leads House to lay sleepless in his hospital bed at the end of the episode, worrying and the audience with him: will he cope without Wilson by his side? Will Wilson ever forgive him? Questions that are less immediate but also pressing: what will the effect of Thirteen finding out she has Huntington’s do for her emotional state? Will Kutner stay content with being alone? What will happen between Cuddy and House? There is an undeniable connection between the two, seeing as House hallucinated about her helping him figure out who is in danger and the fact that Cuddy in real life also sits (and sleeps!) by his bedside, demonstrating more than an employer- employee relationship between her and House. Though it seems that the falling out with Wilson, troubles House too much to even notice Cuddy. The House- Cuddy romantic narrative doesn‘t have a cliffhanger or opening mystery, it’s just simply put on hold between Story Step 1 The introduction and Story Step 2 Deliberation 25 . Even without the cliffhanger, the audience is kept curious: how quickly House will let the confrontation lead to deliberation and what actions will he take to change the status quo? What plan or how many plans will be needed to fix the rift between the two?

25 Unfortunately for their fans, the Cuddy- House narrative was set up to unfold, but was side- tracked due to the writer strike. Sources: -The New York Times, “The 110-day writers’strike: A timeline” 12 February 2008. -Barnett, Barbara, “Dr. Gregory House in love, part 2” posted: 15 December 2008. 48 5.01: Dying Changes Everything In episode 5.01: Dying Changes Everything, after the mystery of the week opening mystery, it becomes clear that House ignored the problem during the summer break 26 . Cuddy confronts him with the problem and wants House to talk to Wilson and apologize. But:

CUDDY: When was the last time you talked to him? HOUSE: Ehm.. I think it was right after… When did his girlfriend die? [beat] He wanted time alone. I considered being a pain in the ass, but I didn’t want to tread on your turf.

And after that House stopped trying to talk to Wilson; he neglected the problem. Although the Story Steps of Ruven and Batavier do leave room for staying in the second choice life, there is no Story Step available for neglecting the problem after being confronted with it; in the Story Steps the main character then goes on to Story Step 2 which leads to:

2.V lead chooses to voluntarily solve the problem.

Instead of deciding to voluntarily solve the problem with a first plan, House takes on a case of an assistant of a woman rights activist: Correa. Thirteen argues with House about not discussing terminating a fetus that nestled in the bowels with the patient. He says that he wouldn’t have told her to take the Huntington-test if he new she would let it:

“Color your every medical opinion [..] People die! You, Amber, everyone. Don't act like you just figured that out. I gave you a diagnosis, you don't like it, there are exits on every floor."

Wilson tells House he is going to move away. House, instead of talking to Wilson like Cuddy wants him to, blackmails Wilson by refusing to treat his own patient. Thirteen goes out of her way to try and solve the case without House, to prove her job is important. Still in the end, House is the one to find out what’s wrong with the patient. The audience might suspect that Thirteen’s Huntington diagnosis will have a larger impact then it already had in this episode, on the following storylines for Thirteen. But the narrative of her working hard on this patient to prove her job is worth it, is closed within this episode.

26 HOUSE MD. Episode 5.01: Dying Changes Everything, 16 September 2008. 49 House eventually goes to Wilson and this time apologizes with sincerity. But Wilson doesn’t blame House, although he wanted to. He tells House:

“If I have learned anything from Amber, it's that I have to take care of myself. We're not friends anymore, House. I'm not sure we ever were….” and walks out.

In episode 4.16 the problem is introduced and explained how it came to be. The lead, House, was confronted with the problem. At the beginning of episode 5.01 Dying Changes Everything, it becomes clear that House has been denying and ignoring the problem during the summer. By denying the problem it was delayed to pop up its head, after the summer break, in the episode 5.01. During this episode there is an intensification of the problem. The lead, House, chooses to voluntarily solve the problem, albeit with his standard sort of plan; blackmail is not the first plan most people would resort too in trying to keep a friend. At the end of the episode House has an epiphany and apologizes to Wilson. Alas, in comparison to the previous episode, the problem intensifies. The most logical plan, apologizing, didn’t work. The episode seems to end with a cliffhanger, though it isn’t life-threatening in the immediate physical sense of the word, if the situation remains as it is, it still could ruin House’s life. A grave statement is made and the camera zooms in on House’s face to register his first reaction. But when the viewer waits for a reaction, there is no soapy freeze frame. It is Wilson who doesn’t wait for a reaction. He walks away. House is left looking stunned. So we already know House can’t immediately react to Wilson’s statement, in the next scene that will be shown. House’s plan failed. He seems to have hit rock bottom with his relationship to Wilson:

6.III The lead loses everything and everyone and hits rock bottom.

And here the narrative pauses, in the middle of Story Step 6, leaving the viewer wondering if this will lead to the next phases of the Story Step:

6.IV The lead realizes his fear is constricting him. He chooses his first choice life, which changes him. 6.V The lead has an epiphany on how to proceed. 6.VI The lead comes up with an even bigger, bolder Plan 4, hoping to be able to fix everything and reach ‘heaven’.

50 We are curious what House’s next plan to solve the problem will be and if it will work. Will Wilson really leave? What will happen to House if he does? Will House reach his goal, getting Wilson to stay at Plainsborough Hospital and become friends with House again, the narrative showing its temporary moment of resolution? This episode displays no extra tension between House and Cuddy, although she staid by his side during the drama in the last episodes of season 4. Though she really cares about House and Wilson getting their friendship back, the romance narrative between her and House still experiences a lull. The viewer is reminded of the possible narrative, the neglected feelings that are hanging in the air, but the characters are not confronted with these feelings.

5.24: Both Sides Now and 6.01-6.02: Broken. Another ‘House’s mental abilities might be compromised’ scare dismantled. Episode 5.24 starts without a leader in like most House episodes. But it wouldn’t have hurt to start the episode with one, seeing all the information you need to understand all the complications that gives the episode meaning: during season 5 House and Wilson make up on their trip to the funeral of House’s dad 27 . Thirteen threatens to kill herself by doing drugs and having unsafe one-night-stands. But doing a Huntington’s drug trial and in the mean time getting closer to Foreman helps to calm her down. Then Kutner, without any signs, commits suicide. House starts to doubt his own deducting skills because he didn’t have a clue Kutner would do that. Kutners death makes Chase propose to Cameron. Only Cameron wanting to hold on to her dead husbands sperm, makes Chase hesitant to marry Cameron. After Kutners death, House starts to hallucinate, seeing Amber everywhere he goes, making him do bad things. He tries different things to get rid of Amber. After their shared kiss in episode 5.06: 28 , House is unable to follow up on that kiss 29 ; 6. II Halfway the lead chickens out, and thus doesn’t choose his first choice life. Cuddy adopting a baby in episode 5.11 30 left a heavy cloud of anticipation hanging over House and Cuddy disrupting them getting closer. After insulting Cuddy in episode 5.23: Under My Skin he asks her

27 HOUSE MD. Episode 5.04: Birthmarks, 14 October 2008. 28 HOUSE MD. Episode 5.06: Joy, 28 October 2008. 29 HOUSE MD. Episode 5.10: Let Them Eat Cake, 2 December 2008. 30 HOUSE MD. Episode 5.11: Joy To The World, 9 December 2008. 51 for help with detoxing 31 . She helps him, tells him she always liked him, they kiss and fall in bed together. In episode 5.24: Both Sides Now, Cuddy has left House apartment. 32 At work she tells House they can never be more than boss and employee. House asks Wilson for help on how to handle Cuddy; Wilson advises House to make her mad so they can talk about what she really feels. House succeeds, but during the conversations House realizes that: him asking Cuddy for help, her helping him, them sleeping together, it was all a figment of his imagination. Everything that he and the viewers witnessed in episode 5.23 and 5.24 that came after House insulting Cuddy didn’t really happen. Cuddy let’s Wilson take House to a mental health facility, where House hands his wallet and phone to Wilson. At the same time Chase and Cameron, who made up thanks to advice House gave Cameron, exchange vows and rings.

In hindsight this episode 5.24: Both Sides Now seems to be a double episode with Episode 5.23: Under My Skin, but isn’t presented as one. Probably to heighten the surprise at the end of episode 5.24. If you didn’t see the previous one, you don’t understand this one (it is even hard to understand, when you did and you pay close attention to both episodes). During this season, after reconnecting with Wilson, House seemed to really make an effort to open up more to the people around him;

6.I The lead starts Plan 3, determined after his re-evaluation to live his first choice life.

House giving Cameron the advice she needs to get back together with Chase in episode 5.24 is an example of that. House’s earlier attempts at happiness during season 5 were stumped by the abrupt suicide of Kutner that launches the final downward trajectory of the season. House’s need to be happier becomes more profound in episode 5.24. But at the end of episode 5.24, the part of himself House is most proud of, his mental prowess, is at stake again. There is a reintroduction of a problem that House and the audience believed was solved. So actually it is an intensification of the problem, as by now it’s clear that House didn’t resolve his hallucination problems. Even more, his mental problems intensified, as now House fools

31 HOUSE MD. Episode 5.23: Under My Skin, 4 May 2009. 32 HOUSE MD. Episode 5.24: Both Sides Now, 11 May 2009. 52 himself in believing his hallucinations, his mental prowess is already compromised;

6.III The lead loses everything and everyone and hits rock bottom.

We find out that House, contrary to what he believes during this episode, what he tells Wilson and thus the viewers: -didn’t detox from his Vicodin addiction; - didn’t have loving sex with Cuddy; - Cuddy was right to fire him, but for the wrong reasons; - it weren’t the drugs that caused the hallucinations, which will make it harder to cure House.

Once again, the season doesn’t end with a cliffhanger. If it were a cliffhanger, the episode would have ended with House realization that he imagined the whole tryst with Cuddy. It is sort of an opening mystery: what caused House to make up such delusions about his life? It’s not the Vicodin, otherwise he would have checked himself in a detoxing clinic instead of a mental institution. The lead character was confronted with his old problem, but it because more pressing, because now he can’t even rely on his beloved mind anymore. The following last scenes of the episode demonstrate different Story Steps quickly following one after another:

6.IV The lead realizes his fear is constricting him. He chooses his first choice life, which changes him. 6.V The lead has an epiphany on how to proceed. 6.VI The lead comes up with an even bigger, bolder Plan 4, hoping to be able to fix everything and reach ‘heaven’.

The plan is hatched and the execution of the plan is started with House checking into the mental hospital, but we’ll have to wait for the results. After this epiphany, choosing this plan, House denounces part of his second choice life, in which he refused to believe in the use of psychotherapy and other slow resolutions to physical and psychological agony. The next question is, if the treatment will have a (lasting) effect on him, and those around him. Will House be able to go to work again? Will House take this break-down as a catalyst for detoxing from Vicodin as well, or will he address one problem at a time? Will he ask Wilson to sit in and check on every decision House has to make again (like he did in episode 5.23: Under My Skin)? Will we see

53 more of House’s hallucinations? To echo the ponderings of a fan on a HOUSE MD discussion board:

“Now the writers have dismantled House completely; will they keep him undone or re-construct him?” 33

In my opinion the threat of House’s mental prowess cannot be diminished as quickly as was done in episode 3.01: Meanings, when the ketamine induced coma could mean a life without pain, but could also be a threat to his brain function. In that case the first episode of the next season immediately makes clear that House’s mind is unchanged, but that his pain might come back. This time, the answer might not be a surgery going right, or a simple medical cure ensuring his mental abilities, but a long psychological process with ups and downs. It remains to be seen if season 6 will return to the upward motion House displays in the middle of season 5, or if House will revert back to the emotionally constricted, negative persona we met in the pilot episode. With his team solving more and more cases by themselves and Cuddy ready to fire House only for his antics (not even because his decline in solving cases) House’s job in the hospital and thus his will to live, is anything but sure. House making up a story about him and Cuddy finally getting together indicates that he wants that to be able to be happy. The goal finally is explicitly shown. House realized (though mainly with the unstable part of his brain) that he would like to be able to tell Cuddy that he needs her. That he wants to be madly in love. Will House finally make his feelings for her clear (when he’s in a sane state of mind), like he did in his made up fantasy world? The narrative is more complicated, as in the meantime Cuddy takes another insult as an indication that they could never have the relationship she wants from him; the worst timing! Cuddy even fires House. But as soon as she sees his confusion she is at his side with sincere concern. She seems ready to help, but she takes House to Wilson, instead of taking care of House herself. She attends the wedding of Cameron and Chase with the baby she adopted on her arm, but without a man. Is this an indication about how she’s going to handle House in the

33 Blacktop, comment number 16, posted June 8, 2009, posted on: Barnett, Barbara, “House, M.D.: Looking Back at Season Five – page 9” (Part of Welcome to the end of the Thought Process: House M.D.) posted: 7 June 2009, http://critics.org/video/article/house-md-looking-back-at-season/page-9/#comments 54 future? Or simply put: will Cuddy and House ever get together 34 ? This storyline is left open. It is not even really an opening mystery, just left undone. Again. Cameron and Chase have a big crisis endangering their wedding plans. They eventually make up and nothing at the end of the episode signals future problems. But like said before, like in soaps; we know conflict has to ensue sooner or later. The big crisis just before the wedding ceremony doesn’t bode well. The same goes for Thirteen and Foreman, who had some trouble while dealing with Kutner’s death, but attended the wedding together. These narratives illustrate that with or without explicit mention of slumbering problems, the narrative endings are only temporary moments of resolution, no happy endings.

6.01-6.02: Broken Other seasonal transitions gave the viewer a sense of immediacy, tuning in after a few weeks of absence . The back to back double premiere episodes of season 6 represent the first seasonal transition of HOUSE MD which visually relays the viewer about what happened to House during the summer. This instead of illustrating what happened with a few comments, like with episode 5.01 when a conversation between Cuddy and House reveals that House and Wilson didn’t talk for weeks. This approach is different from the season transition where House undergoes the ketamine induced coma because there the detox and the physical rehabilitation wasn’t shown. But the two are similar because in episode 6.01: Broken, Part 1 as well as episode 3.01 Meaning, Part 2, the emphasis is on the mental and psychological rehabilitation. With season 6 we as viewers see what happened to House during his stay in the mental institution. With a quick montage we skip through House’s physical detox as if it were nothing (and it’s not like faithful viewers haven’t seen Dr. House detox before 35 ). Then House seemingly retracts his resolve to work on himself by committing himself to the mental hospital; he wants out. He checked himself in, so legally he is aloud. But his psychiatrist blackmails him into staying by saying he will advise against House receiving his medical license back. House resists therapy by not wanting to take his medicine and not wanting to talk in group therapy or in private sessions with his shrink. House uses his usual

34 While the sixth season has started, it can be said that the tension between Cuddy and House had been cooled off a bit during House’s time in a mental institution in double episode HOUSE MD. Episode 6.01 Broken: Part 1 and 6.02 Broken: Part 2, 21 September 2009. But the flirtatious innuendo is back in episode 6.05 Instant Karma, 12 October 2009. 35 HOUSE MD. Episode 1.11: Detox, 15 February 2005. 55 strategy of using his mental prowess to undermine the authority of the hospitals’ staff. He only pretends to take his medicine and tries cheating his way out of the hospital. When House defies hospital rules (with good intentions) he accidentally gets another patient gravely injured. At the beginning of episode 6.02 House realizes he has to delve into his feelings to get better, not only pretending to do better. His resolve to even try therapy to get better is back.

NOLAN(psychiatrist): Yes, you are the sum of everything that’s happened to you. And, yes, some events are more relevant than others. But, uh, the only way we can figure out which ones are is to talk. So tell me, what’s on your mind? [pause] What do you want? HOUSE: I want to get better… Whatever the hell that means. I’m sick of being miserable. NOLAN: So you’d like to be happy? HOUSE: Again with the reflecting – Yes, I’d like to be happy. NOLAN: Being happy is an excellent goal. Not many patients can crystallize exactly what they’re hoping to get out of this. HOUSE: Well, bully for me. 36

House even really connects with a family member of one of his fellow patients. But the woman he bonded with is moving to another state, ironically she’s moving because House helped the mentally ill family member get out of her catatonic state. When House goes to discuss the matter with his therapist, the therapist finally gives him permission to leave the institution:

HOUSE: She left. NOLAN: And... HOUSE: I'm lost. NOLAN: [sits next to House] I'm gonna write your letter… To the medical board, recommending that they give your license back. HOUSE: You can't just console me by giving me a lollipop when I skin my knee. NOLAN: Well, two things just happened. You got hurt, which means you connected to someone else strongly enough to miss them. And more important… You recognized the pain and came to talk to me, instead of hiding from it in the Vicodin bottle. The fact that you're hurting and you came here, the fact that you're taking your meds and we're talking right now… Come inside and get some sleep. Tomorrow you can start saying your good-byes.

36 HOUSE MD. Episode 6.02: Broken Part 2, 21 September 2009. 56 The therapist might deem House fit to leave the hospital, and thus the mental hospital narratives all end here. House reached his goal of getting out of there, and getting out with healthy ways to deal with setbacks in his life. There is a temporary moment of resolution. But in his plan to be happy, the mental hospital narrative is just a finished plan, a finished story step. The road to House’s goal, getting happy, is just beginning. As mentioned above with episode 4.16: realizing you want to be happy is just the first step. Being happy is a complicated goal, and one that when achieved needs work to be maintained. The audience is curious what his next plans will be; how House will cope with his new resolve and strategies to get at happiness. How will House translate his new plan to get happy to his normal environment? Will he try to get together with Cuddy? Will his relationships with to Wilson or his team change because of this new plan? Only time will tell how the writers will tackle this problem. Episode 6.02 ends with another patient that looked up to House and his anti-authority mentality following his new direction: he wants to take his meds. House get’s on the bus to go home, looking optimistic. The mental institution narrative ends here. The narrative ends with a moment of temporary resolution, but it is clear House still has a long way to go; it is just one plan in House’s narrative to be happy.

The narrative format.

As said in the introduction of this essay, the series HOUSE MD has the structure of the case-of-the-week. But other than with cop procedurals the audience won’t get its satisfaction from trying to solve the case along with the main characters. The solving of the cases requires real medical knowledge; even the characters with an extensive medical background have trouble solving the cases. So like creator David Shore said: “[…] I quickly began to realize that we needed that character element, I mean, germs don't have motives...”37 . The series began as a procedural where each case reveals something about House and some of the other characters. Along season one, with Cameron asking House out for a date 38 , the show became more focused on the relationships between the characters.

37 Callaghan, Dylan, “Writers Guild of America: an interview with David Shore” (excerpts) House MD. Guide to the TV show, consulted: June 2010 www.housemd-guide.com/showinfo/davidshore.php 38 HOUSE MD Episode 1.19: Kids, 3 May 2005. 57 Other than VERONICA MARS which makes extensive use of a narrator to

explain with flashbacks what happened over the summer break, HOUSE MD season starting episodes have a sense of immediacy. What happened over the summer is mostly summed up in a few comments, never with flashbacks. More than once House ignored the new problem that was introduced in the previous episode, allowing the viewer to tune in the moment he changes this tactic. Because of the lack of flashback used, it is not the absence of the viewer in the narrative that is accentuated, the lapse in progress in the narrative is shown. See for instance episode 2.01:

CUDDY: If you have a problem working with Stacy you should have said so. HOUSE: (sarcastically) What was I supposed to do? Ask her to leave? That’s just rude. Death row guy. I want the case.

The ending of the previous episode is mentioned and within the same breath the character House turns the subject to the new medical mystery of the week. Season 6 starts with the exception of the rule of picking up the narrative after weeks have past. In episode 6.01 the narrative is started shortly after House checks into the mental hospital, instead of weeks later. What happened during the summer is not related in flashbacks, but in a recapulating montage, quickly depicting House’s physical detox and illustrating the return of House’s resistance against psychiatric help.

Soap opera characteristics and tactics in HOUSE MD

Narrative subjects 1 Narratives focusing on personal issues? Or on a certain occupation?

The title HOUSE MD refers to House’s name and his profession: in the United States MD is used as abbreviation for Doctor of Medicine: a degree which someone must have to work as a doctor39 . So it’s a safe assumption that the series has House’s occupation, being a doctor, as a main theme. The title of the series not only refers to a doctor, it also refers to House as a person. The further the series evolves, the more time is spent on the character

39 Cambridge dictionary online, Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary : http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/md_1

58 serialization narratives. And House is a private person. It’s only occasionally that we get to observe Dr. House outside of the hospital, for instance in his apartment. We get to see little glimpses of his moods when the episodes end with House playing a cheerful tune on one of his instruments, or when he just stares sulkily in the distance. House also takes his self-confidence from his aptitude in his profession. So it stands to reason that in following House, we mainly follow him where he spends most of his time and where he interacts with others. The medical cases function as jumpstarts for personal dilemma’s for and struggles between the main characters. Why we don’t see a lot of House’s and the other characters’ personal spaces, is because these dedicated doctors don’t spend a lot of time at home, not because the lack of character serialization narratives.

2 Narratives about a few characters instead of a whole community.

The title HOUSE MD already suggests this show is about Dr House. HOUSE MD is in this way similar to Hollywood movies: there is a main character on which the narrative focuses; the B-stories are reserved for work-related narratives and his friends and colleagues. The difference is that series run longer, so all the B-stories combined give us rounded characters for the whole cast. The frequent viewer knows every characters virtues and flaws.

3 The main character is indispensable, not dispensable . The main character is doctor House. If he were to die, the series would end. But other important characters like Dr. Foreman, Dr Chase and Dr Cameron have been drastically moved to the background when House fired them from his diagnostics team, resulting in a big unease with the fans 40 . The US ratings of season 4 only dropped one number from 7 to 8 41 . Other important characters like Amber and Dr. Kutner have been killed and the show survived it. The main character is indispensable, but the other characters are dispensable.

40 -Douglass Jr., Todd, “House M.D. – Season Four.” DVD Talk , posted: August 19, 2008 http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/34531/house-md-season-four/ -Sepinwall, Alan, “Sepinwall on TV. ‘House’ season five review”, The Star-Ledger . posted: September 16, 2008, http://www.nj.com/entertainment/tv/index.ssf/2008/09/sepinwall_on_tv_house_season_f.html -McNamara, Mary, “Medical dramas heal themselves. 'Grey's Anatomy' and others address ills from last season. It's good doctoring from the shows' overseers.” Los Angeles Times , posted: October 7, 2008, http://articles.latimes.com/2008/oct/07/entertainment/et-medicalshows7 41 Though during season 5 and 6, HOUSE MD dropped in the US ratings to number 19 and 21 respectively. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_MD 59 4 Excessive narratives . The most extreme medical cases and medical mysteries roll into Plainsborough hospital. This is made more believable because Houses job consists of figuring out what is wrong with medical cases that other doctors can’t figure out. House’s reputation is so renowned that patients come from the outskirts of America and even illegal patients from Cuba come to him for a solution. House’s expertise makes the extreme cases somewhat more credible. Still the narratives are excessive and unrealistic: every patient who is placed in Dr Houses care comes close to death several times per episode but almost always get’s cured in the end. Besides being shot at, Dr House is kidnapped and accidentally facilitates a near fatal accident of a fellow mental patient 42 . If a real life doctor would experience everything that House does, he would be the unluckiest man concerning his personal life and the luckiest when it comes to solving medical problems.

Narrative structures 5 Formulaic narratives of procedurals instead of interweaving stories.

Nearly every episode of HOUSE MD has a rounded narrative, the medical mystery of the week, with exception of the double episodes. Still there are different narratives within one episode that interweave, just not over several episodes. The storylines per episode interweave with the narratives overarching several episodes, and the narratives that keep being addressed throughout the whole series. But the interweaving is different from that of soap opera series because:

6 NOT every storyline runs over several episodes. Except for in the double episodes, there always is a narrative that ends within one episode. Take for example the narratives of the patients Mark in episode 1.22 and the Cuban wife in episode 3.24. This is different in soap operas, where almost all stories run over several episodes.

7 Open narrative. The character serialization narratives, overarching several episode up to even the whole series, constitute that most of the time these narratives are left open ended. Like House’s Vicodin addiction is shown or mentioned but unaddressed most of the time

42 House is shot in Episode 2.24: No Reason (Part 1), he’s kidnapped in episode 5. He facilitates a near fatal accident of a fellow mental patient in episode 6.01: HOUSE MD, Episode 5.09: Last Resort, 25 November 2008. 60 8 The Cliffhanger. Because the medical mystery (almost) always ends within the episode, that narrative won’t end with a cliffhanger like a life of a patient hanging in the balance (except for the first of a double episode: episode 4.15). Those life- threatening cliffhangers only occur before commercial breaks. But other narratives than the medical mystery, could in theory end an episode with a cliffhanger. However, after analyzing these few episodes I’ve come

to the conclusion that is not the case with the series HOUSE MD. The episodes don’t end with cliffhangers; they end with the introduction of a new problem or a new aspect to an old problem. Both methods introduce a story line, and immediately break it off for the long period of the summer break. The difference between the two is the immediacy of a reaction that is invoked. For example: if the narrative between Stacy and House of episode 1.22 would have ended right after House professing his love for Stacy or vice versa, the audience waiting for the other character to reply, that would have been a cliffhanger. Instead, the narrative ends with an opening mystery: House’s agrees to Stacy working for the hospital, but is obviously not happy with the situation. The audience is left wondering what the future holds, but is not on the edge of the seat cursing the television screen for showing the end titles because they want to no what will happen immediately after the last sentence is uttered. The audience, like Cuddy, has to wait and see how the new situation will pan out. The narrative of Stacy and Mark ends with 9 a momentary equilibrium ( 9. Moment of temporary resolution ) of Stacy and Mark having their ‘happy ending’. But Stacy mentioning she will always think House was the one already indicates this happy phase will probably be short lived.

In HOUSE MD Dr House is more and more affectively struggling to achieve happiness, moments of temporary resolutions. But what is so endearing is watching this man unable to help himself get there. In Dr House’s character serializations narratives there are moments of temporary resolution, but not on a finding the love of your life level, only on a I solved a case or happiness with a friend moments of resolution. That is until the end of season six in episode 21: 43 , where House finally “gets the girl” Cuddy. But as the show continues, crises are needed to keep the audiences watching. And although House’s character has evolved, he stays House and will keep on defying authority, meaning Cuddy.

43 HOUSE MD, Episode 6.21: Help Me, 17 May 2010. 61 And as the series is not cancelled, the fireworks between the two will be needed to keep the series interesting.

The organization of time 10 Frequency of more than once a week.

No, new episodes of HOUSE MD are broadcasted more often than once a week.

11 ‘Chronicled growth’ and ‘unrecorded existence’. The series is the chronicled growth of the characters. When a week has passed in real time, the series roughly picks up a week later. The diegetic (meaning the fictional world of the series) timeframe is the same. Certainly, for instance in episode 2.01 the season starts with showing that Stacy is working in the hospital for weeks, during the summer break we didn’t follow every day that went by in Plainsborough Hospital, but still time passed. During the summer break between season 2 and 3 House gets the time to recuperate and adjust to his new life without pain in his leg. Between season four and five House and Wilson lead an unrecorded existence only referred to when House relays to Cuddy that he and Wilson haven’t spoken in weeks. Not only during the holidays have the characters experienced things not witnessed by the audience. Take for instance the illusive wife Wilson tells House is angry at Wilson for leaving a dinner party to talk to his buddy in episode 1.22 The Honeymoon.

12 Lack of narrative progress. The romantic narrative between Dr. House and Dr. Cuddy has a slow start and drags on and on. It was only during season 5 until they came to their long awaited kiss in 5.06: Joy 44 . After Cuddy looses a baby she would have adopted when the birth mother changes her mind, House visits her home.

CUDDY: It's really not the greatest time for gloating. [She moves away from the door and leans against a wall. He limps into the house and closes the door behind him.] HOUSE: [quietly] There's more than one baby in the sea. The world is full of teenage boys riding bareback. CUDDY: No. I'm done. I can't go through that again. HOUSE: You're quitting. Just like you quit IVF. CUDDY: Yeah, just like that.

44 HOUSE MD, Episode 5.06: Joy, 28 October 2008. 62 HOUSE: There, you just did it again. [She smiles, humorlessly.] It's too bad. You would've made a great mother. [She stares at him then looks away. She moves her head for a few seconds before speaking.] CUDDY: “You’re a son of a bitch. When I’m getting the baby you tell me I would suck as a mother. When I loose it, you tell me I would be great as a mother. Why do you do that? Why do you need to negate everything?” HOUSE: “I don’t know.”

Cuddy is touched by this sudden blunt honesty from the man that usually neglects these kinds of questions with quips or cynicism. They share a passionate, long kiss. But House being House, he can’t deal, wishes her goodnight and bolts out. In the next episode House stands for Cuddy’s door, but changes his mind and walks away again. And the story drags on. In episode 5.23: Under My Skin House and Cuddy seem to unite at last, but in the next episode 5.24: Both Sides Know the viewer learns House was hallucinating 45 . After Cuddy having plans of moving in with someone else, House and Cuddy finally find each other in episode 6.21: Help Me 46 . But as with soap opera operas, in series the ‘guy gets girl’ doesn’t indicate a ‘happy ever after’.

13 Redundancy in narrative. The same fact can be retold over and over to see how different characters react to the news. Like in episode 6.05 Instant Karma where House tells different people Thirteen’s plain flight out of the country was cancelled by an anonymous person. Not only House, but also the viewer carefully notices every characters reaction House tells this news to.

14 Repetition in leaders. House usually doesn’t use a leader telling what happened previously in other episodes. That device is only used in the double episode, like the double episode analyzed in this essay of episode 4.15 and 4.16.

45 HOUSE MD, Episode 5.23: Under My Skin, 4 May 2009. And HOUSE MD. Episode 5.24: Both Sides Now, 11 May 2009. 46 HOUSE MD, Episode 6.21: Help Me, 17 May 2010. 63 15 Characters have histories and memories. All characters have histories and memories. Some blasts from the past even drop in, like Stacy, House’s ex. Wilson’s several ex-wives are talked about, but never to be seen. Amber is the first woman in his life we get to witness for ourselves. Every character takes the experiences they had (and most of them the public witnessed) into the present. Like how the death of Amber and Kutner lead to House’s hallucinations.

16 Sense of a future / continuity . Every time House’s ability to practice medicine is endangered and every time there is a possibility of a romantic entanglement, they are referring to a possible future. Even more, every opening mystery that isn’t answered within the episode, points to several possible future outcomes.

64 2. Narrative strategies in VERONICA MARS

Episode 1.01 Pilot 1; Building expectations for the series.

From left to right the characters: former friend Logan, new friend Wallace, Veronica Mars, dad Keith Mars and ex-boyfriend Duncan Kane. Below: recap of the motorcycle gang Eli “Weevil” Navarro. Source: www.serieslive.com/img/wallpaper/1600_1200/veronica_mars_01.jpg

Characteristics of a pilot of a series; introducing the characters. In this pilot episode a new student being duck-taped naked to a flagpole presents the mystery / problem of the week. He seems to have pissed of the local motorcycle gang, but in the beginning of the episode it is unclear what pissed them off. When he thanks Veronica for cutting him down, he explains that he pressed the silent alarm when he saw a couple of the gang members steal liquor. Veronica uses an elaborate scheme to save the new kid in school Wallace from being bullied by the local motorcycle gang. She kills three birds with one stone, as she simultaneously manages to piss off the new sheriff and school menace Logan Echolls while getting the motorcycle gang in her dept. A lot of Veronica’s background is first hinted at by Veronica’s voice-over to later be explained through several flashbacks. Thus interweaving with the current story line, the narrative of Veronica’s past is unfolded. Her boyfriend Duncan

1 VERONICA MARS . Episode 1.01: Pilot, Rob Thomas (creator), The CW, 22 September 2004. 65 broke up with her without giving her a reason. Veronica and her father Keith Mars are outcasts since Keith, the local sheriff, tried to pin the murder of Veronica’s best friend Lilly Kane on her father, Jake Kane, the richest man in town. Keith was run out of office, Veronica’s mother left town. After receiving an anonymous tip, the new sheriff caught Lilly’s killer Abel Koontz, former disgruntled Kane software employee. The police found Lilly’s shoes on his boat. Abel Koontz confessed to the murder. Veronica visited a party to prove she wouldn’t be run out of town. There the drink she was handed was drugged. When Veronica woke up, she wasn’t a virgin anymore. When she went to report the rape to the new sheriff, sheriff Lamb, asks her who to arrest, as she has no clue who did this to her. Nowadays the jaded and hostile Veronica Mars helps her father, now a private detective, from time to time by taking pictures of trysts in hotels. When she follows Jake Kane because his wife suspects him of having an affair, Veronica takes a picture of the car next to the motel room mister Kane visits. Veronica finds out the car belongs to her mother and that her father is still investigating the Lilly Kane case. Veronica vows to find her mother and reuniting her family.

Veronica and the Mars family The character Veronica is immediately presented as a jaded girl. Despite of her cheerleader potential looks, she is an outsider. Furthermore, she’s a tough girl, not afraid to help a new student thereby angering a biker gang. She is really smart. Even though she sleeps in the classroom because of her moonlighting job, she still is keeping up with the advanced placement class. She is nosy and stubborn, choosing to ignore her dad’s warnings to leave the Kane case alone. Her picking up half of her father’s jobs is illegal, but she does it anyway. This might get her in trouble in the future. During the episode this image is further illustrated. Veronica returns sexual remarks of the head of the biker gang with equal evocative remarks. As Wallace rightly points out: Veronica’s schemes could bring her and Wallace in trouble with the authorities. Veronica comes up with a plan to get the bikers to back off and even protect her and Wallace; she simultaneously gets back at her opponents Logan and Sheriff Lamb. With Veronica it’s an eye for an eye. And this episode soon explains that her jaded disposition isn’t strange. Veronica’s boyfriend broke up with her without giving a reason, her best friend was murdered, Veronica and her father became social outcasts when her dad went

66 after the wrong guy, Veronica’s alcoholic mother consequently skipped town. The one person she thought she could rely on, her father, disappoints her by lying to her. She doesn’t confront her dad about the lie, but gives him the cold shoulder. Little hints given during the episode suggest Veronica has a softer side. She immediately retracts her comment about the new kid not being allowed to sit at her table. She let’s Wallace in on her scheme and they become friends. And the episode ends with Veronica’s voice-over pondering forgiving her father for lying; he was probably protecting her. She vows to find out why her father is still investigating Lilly’s murder and why Veronica’s mom was meeting Jake Kane in a hotel. She vows to find the answers to these questions to be able to reunite her family. Veronica’s dad, Keith Mars, demonstrates a strong bond with his daughter Veronica. His loss of his job as sheriff and thus a steady income and being left by their alcoholic wife and mother forced the two to support each other; they became friends as well. They both have to work the private detective jobs though Keith doesn’t like that it made his daughter stop believing in love and puts her in danger. We believe Veronicas suggestion that Keith lied to her to protect her. Veronica finds out that although the case got him fired and Abel Koontz, a former Kane software employee confessed to killing Lilly, Keith is still secretly investigating the Lilly Kane murder case. Keith tendency to try to protect his daughter and Veronica’s curiosity and resolve will probably result in more conflict in the future. Lianne Mars is not presented as the perfect mom. The loss of money and status made her leave her husband and teenage daughter behind. During the episode Logan alludes to her being an alcoholic. No flashback is shown to confirm this accusation, but the reactions of Veronica and Logan tell all. At the end of the episode Veronica finds out that the person meeting Jake Kane in the hotel was Lianne Mars. What was she doing there? Are they having an affair? Will Veronica’s resolve to find out what happened lead to a reconciliation or shall the revelation of the skeletons in Lianne’s closet result in a more intense crisis? Only time will tell.

Veronica’s allies besides her dad: Wallace Fennel & Cliff McCormack Yang to Veronica’s yin is new kid Wallace Fennel. The “skinny negro” as the head of the motorcycle gang calls him, needs a girl to come to his rescue. During

67 the episode he demonstrates he has a mind of his own. Although he hears all kinds of rumors about Veronica, he still chooses to spend time with her, as “I can either hang out with the punks who laughed at me, took pictures of me while I was taped to that flagpole or I can hang out with the chick who cut me down”. Wallace pressed the silent alarm when he sees a couple of bikers steal from the store he works at, but tries to take it back when he finds the whole biker gang waiting outside to intimidate him. This illustrates his strong moral compass and a respect for authorities, though he doesn’t let that stop him from helping Veronica with her schemes. Luckily for him, Veronica’s solution to his problem and her support make him able to stand up to the head of the bikers at the end of this episode. In future episodes Wallace will probably continue being Veronica’s voice of reason, her co-conspirator and confidant 2. One of the other characters is Cliff McCormack, although Cliff jokes about failing his criminal law exam, his work consists of defending the more tawdry characters of the Neptune society. He is presented as an ally of Veronica and her father. Although he makes clear that he knows about Veronica covering a lot of the stake out jobs instead of Keith, he shows no intentions of alerting the authorities. Furthermore, he indirectly asks Veronica to help him with a case of his own.

The Kane family Duncan Kane was Veronica’s boyfriend. As he broke up with her by suddenly ignoring her and giving her no explanation, he comes across as a jerk. But when Logan makes nasty remarks about Lianne’s alcoholism, Duncan (without looking at Veronica) tells Logan to shut up. This protectiveness indicates that he still harbors sympathetic, maybe even amorous feelings for Veronica. Adding the mystery of why Duncan dumped Veronica and you have two reasons to believe there is a promise of further conflict between the two of them. Celeste Kane always seemed to hate Veronica. Veronica thinks because she didn’t deem Veronica good enough to date her son. Nowadays Celeste’s hatred of the Mars family is intensified, as Keith tried to put her husband Jake Kane in jail for the murder of their daughter. Keith Mars was convinced that Jake Kane was hiding something from him about the murder. But he is beloved in the town of Neptune, as his invention of streaming video made half the town rich, so the town

2 Just like Wilson is House’s voice of reason, co-conspirator and confidant. 68 turned against Keith. Now his wife suspects him of having an affair and hires the dogged Keith Mars to find out if she’s right and who the person is. Veronica’s resolve to find out why Lianne was meeting with Jake Kane and why her dad is still investigating the Lilly Kane murder case, points to future conflict between the Mars and the Kane family. Murder victim Lilly Kane was Veronica’s best friend. In this episode we don’t learn much about her. She is a beautiful girl with long blond hair. She and Veronica did a car wash in pep squad 3 uniform the day of her death. The last words she said to Veronica were: “I have a secret, a good one”. But because of the murder she never got to tell Veronica this secret. She was found at the pool of her parents’ house, with her head smashed in. Veronica’s emotional involvement with the victim and her family and friends, will mean that investigating of the murder will be a highly emotional ordeal.

The Echolls family Veronica’s voice-over describes the character Logan Echolls as follows: "Every school has an obligatory psychotic jackass. He’s ours." His father is fictional movie star Aaron Echolls, so Logan is in with the rich crowd. Logan seems to really have it in for Veronica. Later in the episode a flashback explains why: the murder victim was his girlfriend Lilly Kane. Her brother Duncan is Logan’s best friend. Logan resents Veronica for sticking by her dad, even though Keith’s accusations are ruining the Kane family. You would almost feel sympathy for the guy. That is until he uses a crow bar to trash Veronica’s car, as “her little stunt” made his father take his car from him. This time the gang of bikers was there to prevent further damage. The protection of Weevil might keep Veronica safe for a while, but Logan is not the kind of guy to be stopped by the threat of getting hurt.

Veronica’s other adversaries Next to Logan Echolls and every other former friend, Veronica has even more impressive opponents. Her principle for instance, wonders in an exasperated tone: “Veronica, why does trouble follow you around?” By defending Wallace, she attracts the attention and anger of the head of the local motorcycle gang. Later in the series we get to know him as Eli “Weevil”

3 Pep squads have similar goal as cheerleader: increasing the school spirit and supporting the sports teams of the school. Only they don’t do it by cheering, singing and dancing. The carwash Veronica and Lilly attend is started to raise money for the school. sports teams. 69 Navarro. Weevil seems to be only a chauvinistic low rate criminal. But he shows a great sense of humor and seems to respect Veronica’s way of solving his problem. At the end of the episode he acts as Veronica’s ally against Logan Echolls, but only to protect the interest of his gang: as Veronica is in possession of the evidence tape, she has the power to send two of his gang members to jail whenever she feels like it. Sheriff Don Lamb is introduced as the man that scoffs at Wallace when he retracts his statement about the robbery. His irritation in this case is understandable, although he expresses it unkindly, telling Wallace to “go see the wizard and ask for some guts”. When Veronica came to report her rape, Lamb vicious character is revealed:

SHERIFF LAMB [sarcastically]: Is there anyone in particular you’d like me to arrest or should I just round up the sons of the most important families in town? [beat] I’ve got not a shred of evidence to work with here but that really doesn’t matter to your family, now does it? Veronica can’t hold back a tear. SHERIFF LAMB: Ummm...look at this. She cries. [beat] I’ll tell you what Veronica Mars, why don’t you go see the wizard. Ask for a little backbone. 4

Veronica’s scheme, and her rubbing his face in it, made Sheriff Don Lamb angry with her. Earlier he doesn’t take Veronica serious, because of her fathers’ “mistake”. But her ploy in this episode renders her a worthy opponent. This scheme is undoubtedly the first plan in a number of plans these two adversaries will dish out to get back at each other. We suspect Sheriff Lamb to be as vengeful as Veronica. He will make her life harder where he can.

Story endings In this episode an incredible amount of opening mysteries / problems was presented. Veronica managed to solve a couple of them within this episode. At the end of the episode Weevil acts as Veronica and Wallace’s ally. He keeps Logan from smashing Veronica’s car any further. The story of Wallace being haunted by the motorcycle gang seems resolved. As Wallace is now in possession of the evidence tape, this situation might continue to be. For now,

4 Transcript VERONICA MARS , Episode 1.01: http://www.twiztv.com/cgi- bin/transcript.cgi?episode=http://dmca.free.fr/scripts/veronica-mars/season1/veronicamars- 101.htm . For other quotes of VERONICA MARS in this essay, transcripts were used from: http://www.twiztv.com/scripts/veronicamars/ 70 Veronica and Wallace have the upper hand. But hoodlums don’t like to be under the thumb of some pretty young thing, especially a petite blond girl. The resolution of this problem of the week is a precarious moment of temporary resolution. Cliff’s case as defendant of the stripper Loretta Cancun, being sued for attacking a washing machine that swallowed her quarter with a baseball bat, is solved. Veronica’s recording proved that as Cliff’s client said, her place of work managed to evade closure for serving minors by giving the Sheriff’s deputies blowjobs. Switching the tape, with the surveillance tape proving the guilt of the gang members, brought the affair to the attention of the judicial system. So in one episode Veronica solved Wallace’s problem with the bikers, the bikers and Loretta Cancun’s problems with the authorities. She answers an opening mystery as she finds out with whom Jake Kane had a secret meeting in a hotel: with Veronica’s own mother Lianne.

Promises for future conflict Veronica’s illegal moonlighting as a private detective could bring her in trouble with the authorities in the future. Further conflict between Veronica and her opponents the principle and Sheriff Lamb is probable. Logan already was targeting Veronica with his practical jokes. He vowed to get back at her when the principle found a device to smoke weed with in his locker. He started his revenge, but was interrupted by the motorcycle gang, so he probably will exact his revenge later. Veronica’s tendency hold on to the “eye-for-an-eye” philosophy is promise of future conflict. The impasse between the motorcycle gang and Wallace & Veronica is probably only temporary. As is likely with a show that revolves around a (high school girl that moonlights as a) private detective: a couple of opening mysteries remained unsolved. The following questions remain: why did Duncan break up with Veronica unannounced, refusing to talk with her? Who drugged and raped Veronica? Why was Veronica’s mother meeting with Jake Kane? Why is Keith still investigating the Lilly Kane murder while the authorities already put the confessing Abel Koontz behind bars? The feud between the Kane and the Mars family will probably be stirred up further by Veronica’s and Keith’s resolve to find out the truth about Lilly’s murder. Adding the opening mysteries of why Duncan dumped Veronica and Veronica’s mother meeting Jake Kane in a hotel

71 there is promise of explosive conflict. These mysteries on the mythological level often coincide with personal narratives of Veronica on the character serialization level. This is done as to make the motivation of Veronica, and thus of the viewers to find out what happened stronger. Even the murder mystery is personal to Veronica, as Lilly was her best friend. So on the road to finding out the answers, the conflicts probably will get highly emotional. Keith probably has sound reasons for trying to shelter his daughter from some of these mysteries. But Veronica isn’t likely to rest until she finds out the truth behind these mysteries; the conflict is inevitable. Keith and Veronica try to investigate Lilly’s murder without the other knowing about it. Veronica being so mad at her father lying about Lianne’s car, indicates that his secrecy might induce further conflict. As will Veronica’s curiosity versus Keith’s attempts to protect his daughter.

Episode 1.22: Leave It To Beaver 5; solving the mystery death, introducing another mystery

Wrapping up the mystery Reintroducing suspect Logan Echolls The recap of the episode catches us up: last week Veronica and Logan took their relationship to a higher level making out on a bed, but Veronica flees the house when she finds a camera system pointed at the bed. In Episode 1.22: Now Keith found a hooker who was with Abel Koontz at the time of the murder, Keith finally has enough evidence to convince a reporter that Abel Koontz is not Lilly’s killer. The consequent news article makes Duncan confront his parents and they acknowledge his suspicions: he killed Lilly during an epileptic fit and his parents found him with her in his arms and proceeded to cover it up. Logan previously was a logical suspect, being Lilly’s boyfriend at the time of the murder. He even found out Veronica had a file on him in her investigation about Lilly’s murder 6. But he had a solid alibi; it was confirmed by two friends that he was surfing in Mexico. Plus, why would the Kane’s cover up the murder when Logan did it? But it turns out Logan asked them to lie for him. But Logan, now Veronica’s boyfriend, is a renewed suspect of Lilly’s murder as his friend

5 VERONICA MARS . Episode 1.22: Leave It To Beaver, 10 May 2005. 6 VERONICA MARS , Episode 1.17: Kanes and Abel’s, April 05 2005. 72 Cassidy ‘Beaver’ Casablancas 7 confesses to lying about being with him at the time of the murder, so competition is reintroduced (story step 2.II). Logan finds out Veronica suspects him and confronts her angrily: story step 2.III Confrontation of the lead with the problem. Logan breaks up with Veronica but also tells her that he wrote a letter to Lilly and if Veronica read it, she would believe Logan would never hurt Lilly. Thereby Veronica is faced with a dilemma (story step 2.IV): should she believe Logan, or shouldn’t she? She decides to (story step 2.V) voluntarily solve the problem. So during a party at the Kane residence Veronica sneaks in and looks for the letter in Lilly’s room. Only she doesn’t find a letter, but videotapes.

Introducing new suspect Aaron Echolls The videotapes indicate Lilly had an affair with Logan’s dad Aaron. Veronica has an epiphany and deduces the following happened: Lilly found the video system like Veronica and took the tapes. When Aaron asked them back to save his marriage and his career as an actor, she refused and he killed her. The truth is known, but the culprit isn’t punished yet, so this doesn’t entail an ending yet. Veronica is confronted with a new problem (story step 2.III): Aaron is at the party at the Kane house. Veronica comes up with the most logical plan: driving home in her car to bring Keith the tapes while Duncan watches Aaron. What Veronica doesn’t know is that Aaron was hiding in the closet when she and Duncan watched the tapes and now reveals he was hiding in her backseat; the problem gets bigger (story step 2.II). Veronica crashes the car on purpose; her being in her seatbelt and Aaron sitting in the backseat without a seatbelt on. After the commercial break we see that first Veronica then Aaron regain consciousness. Aaron chases Veronica around a remote house, trapping her in an old fridge. When Keith comes to her rescue, after Veronica wasn’t home within ten minutes, he and Aaron get injured. Veronica manages to get Aaron at gunpoint and call for the emergency services. Aaron gets arrested. Jake Kane is arrested as well, for obstruction of justice, when he and Duncan drive up and Jake starts screaming at Aaron for killing his daughter Lilly. Lilly’s killer is found so the mystery of the

7 Veronica first suspected Cassidy of raping her in episode 1.21 , aired May 3rd 2005. Cassidy’s brother Dick, wanting him to finally be deflowered, told him to take advantage of Veronica being unconscious. But Cassidy tells Veronica he left the room as soon as his brother and a friend left him to do his thing. At the end of the episode Veronica finds out she had sex with Duncan willingly, but as he was told Veronica might be his half-sister he never mentioned it before. 73 season is solved. And Keith was proven right to question Jake Kane’s statement about the night of his daughter’ murder, so his and Veronica’s position as outsiders might be over.

During the episode Complicating Veronica’s relationships concerning her love life The recap starting this season ending episode also caught the audience up with several mysteries that were solved in earlier episodes. The mythological mystery of Veronica’s rape was solved. Veronica was accidentally given a drug that makes you sexually charged, and Duncan was seen having sex with her. When she goes to confront him about him raping her, Duncan explains it was consensual sex. It should mean story step 8.I: a happy ending. But the revelation doesn’t result in a happy end: Duncan left in the middle of the night because he already knew Veronica might be his half-sister as Lianne Mars and Jake Kane had an affair. So the breaking-up mythological mystery is also solved, but the leads can’t feel happy about it.

On a personal level Veronica or actually her dad overcame a problem that kept her from being with Duncan. And Veronica tells him their not related. A plan is hatched up and executed, and partly successful, but the viewer doesn’t get to see the outcome yet. To complicate things even further: the sleuthing of Veronica and Keith get Jake Kane arrested, making Jake Kane, Duncan’s father, their enemy. The recap also shows that last week Veronica and Logan took their relationship to a higher level making out on a bed, but Veronica flees the house when she finds a camera system pointed at the bed. Logan previously was a logical suspect, being Lilly’s boyfriend at the time of the murder. But he had a solid alibi; it was confirmed by two friends that he was surfing in Mexico. Only now it turns out Logan asked them to lie for him. This information is more disturbing as he and Veronica are dating. Veronica and Logan were about to get serious before she found two hidden cameras pointed at the bed she was making out with Logan. Veronica finding the cameras already resulted in a mini crisis; Veronica bailed without saying a word to Logan. She already ignored him for days (ironically using the same tactic as Duncan used, which really hurt Veronica). Veronica is experiencing a crisis while dating a guy

74 who, as evidence suggests might have killed his previous girlfriend during a crisis in their relationship. That’s why Veronica comes up with a new second plan concerning their relationship crisis:

4.I The lead comes up with plan 2: an extreme plan to solve the problem.

In light of the new evidence a wise plan that is also demised to save her life. Instead of ignoring Logan, she feeds him a story about being confused and feeling guilty towards Duncan and Lilly, their respective exes. She tells Logan she needs more time and a little distance to process. Alas, this plan to avoid serious confrontation fails. When Keith insists they bring the new evidence to sheriff Lamb, who arrests Logan and viciously informs him that Veronica was the one that came forward with the information that led to Logan’s arrest. When Logan gets out on bail, he finds Veronica and her dog on the beach and aggressively confronts her about her lies and distrust.

4.III Plan 2 fails because the problem turns out to be bigger than the lead thought it to be (sheriff Lamb makes sure of it).

Logan’s insistence he is innocent makes everything turns out to be different. This realization hits the Veronica hard. Logan’s insistence that he didn’t kill Lilly, that he gave her a letter that proves he never would, makes Veronica curious. Though Logan tries really hard to convince Veronica he is not a killer, her distrust makes him break up with her:

Love step 5.I Breakup

Complicating Veronica’s relationships concerning her home life The main problems in the life of Veronica were presented in the pilot episode. Veronica wants to be happier, in order to get there she wants to reunite Lianne and Keith. But like in many Hollywood films, the lead doesn’t know what she really needs to be happy 8. The recap introducing this episode 1.22: Leave it to Beaver shows that Veronica told Wallace that she doesn't think the relationship between Keith and Wallace's mom Alicia will last long, as her mom will return home soon. She knows this because, to be able to achieve the life Veronica thinks is her first choice life, she put a plan in motion: getting Lianne cleaned up in rehab. When

8 Ruven, P. and M. Batavier, Het Geheim van Hollywood. , p. 21-25. 75 she tells Wallace about her mom coming back soon, Veronica essentially announces:

Love step 2.III The appearance of competition.

And at the same time she predicts a happy ending for Keith and Lianne and therefore for herself:

Love and story step 8.I: plan 5 succeeds: happy ending.

The recap doesn’t show that in episode 1.21 A Trip to the Dentist 9, Lianne showed up again. Veronica's plan to reunite her family by paying for her mom's rehab seemingly was a success. So story step 8.I should be achieved. During the episode little hints are dropped that all is not well with the Mars family. Because time has passed and Keith finding a new companion in Wallace's mom, there is now an unwanted side effect to this plan: Keith having to break-up with Alicia. In the season ending episode Veronica sees that Keith did break up with Alicia, but feels bad about it. However much Veronica prefers her dad being with her mom, she can’t deny her dad developed real feelings for Alicia. Is Keith breaking up with Alicia because of love step 5.II Keith realizing that he wants Lianne? It seems more like story step 3.II the lead to his second choice life. For Alicia there is:

Love step 2.III An appearance of competition. The competition embodies everything the lead misses (a history and a child with Keith), promising a good alternative life for the other: Keith. He has a choice.

Keith tells Veronica that what they dreaded isn’t true: a DNA-test proves Veronica is Keith’s daughter, not the daughter of Jake Kane. When sharing this news, Lianne, the cause of the uncertainty about who is Veronica’s father, is not concluded. Veronica and Keith also don’t include her in what’s going on with the Lilly Kane investigation and their life-threatening suspicion of first Logan and later Aaron.

Story endings Choosing first choice life for Veronica’s home life Before Veronica goes to the Kane party to look in Lilly’s air vents for evidence, Veronica takes a bottle of water out the fridge and takes a sip, but immediately

9 VERONICA MARS . Episode 1.21: A Trip to the Dentist, 3 May 2005. 76 violently spits it out. She looks funny at the water bottle and calls an information number: "The number of the Hazelwood facility in So-Cal." When after the discovery of Aaron being the killer Aaron is arrested and Keith is lying in the hospital, a new problem is presented to Veronica (story step 1.Ia): Veronica doesn't want Keith to be alone. The doctor, who is sending Veronica home to rest, asks if there is someone they can call. This question leads to expectations… Yes, Veronica and Keith didn’t include Lianne in all the drama that was going on, but Lianne is back in their lives. Keeping her out of the loop might not be done out of spite, but to protect her from worrying and relapsing into her old drinking habits. Finally Lianne is a part of the family, living in the same home and can be called to sit by Keith’s bed. In the next scene however, Veronica tells her mom she wants her to leave the next morning, as Veronica knows Lianne didn’t finish rehab. The scene where Veronica spit out the ‘water’ wouldn’t immediately be clear to every viewer, but the undrinkable water bottle contains Lianne’s secret booze stash, meaning Lianne is still drinking. Veronica's plan to put her mom through rehab apparently didn’t succeed after all. So although Lianne was on the right path, Veronica suspected Lianne failed to follow through:

6.I The lead starts plan 3, determined after her re-evaluation to live her first choice life. 6.II Halfway the lead chickened out, and thus didn’t choose her first choice life.

Lianne’s plan of getting through rehab would have failed, a plan that Veronica initiated and paid for in episode 1.16: Betty and Veronica 10 . When Veronica spits out the ‘water’, she comes up with and executes a new plan to confirm her suspicion: calling her mom’s rehab facility. So at the end of the episode Veronica asks Lianne to leave in the morning saying:

“I know , Mom. I know you're not through drinking, I know you didn't even finish rehab. You checked yourself out and that was my [voice breaking:] college money. I bet on you, and I lost. I've been doing that my whole life. And I'm through.”

So Veronica’s character changes during this episode. Unlike Veronica would have done at the beginning of this episode, Veronica gives up her idea of a first choice life: reuniting her family. Getting her mom home turns out to be a second choice

10 VERONICA MARS . Episode 1.16: Betty and Veronica, 29 March 2005. 77 life. Veronica chooses another goal that will help her and her father to become happier. She comes up with a new plan, plan 4: asking her mom to leave and asking Alicia to sit with Keith (story step 7.I). In other words:

6.IV The lead Veronica chooses her first choice life, which changes her.

This fourth plan seems to succeed. In this episode this lead to a happy ending (story step 8.I), but as this concerns an ongoing series it turns out to be a moment of temporary resolution for Alicia & Keith's narrative. Later, while Veronica dreams of saying goodbye to Lilly, her mom leaves without even saying goodbye to Veronica. Now her plan 3 to live her first choice life failed Lianne, the lead lost everything (her husband's, support and income) and everyone (Keith’s and Veronica’s faith and love) and hits rock bottom (Story and love step 6.III). While hitting rock bottom state, Lianne makes things even worse by coming up with a new plan in which she stays in her second choice life: to leave immediately with the check Keith received from Celeste Kane for bringing home Duncan.

Solving the mystery The real murderer of Lilly Kane is found and caught11 . This is as happy an end as it could get. Of course things would have been better if Lil hadn’t died. However this was never an option, as Lilly was found dead in the narrative preceding the pilot episode. Illustrated by Veronica’s dream about Lilly in the end of the episode, Lilly’s spirit can rest in peace. She will no longer be haunted by Lilly’s ghost as the case is solved. In the dream Veronica tries to pretend for a moment that Lilly isn’t dead and they can lie in the pool together forever:

VERONICA: This is how it's supposed to be. LILLY: Totally. VERONICA: This is how it's gonna be. From now on. Right? Lilly? LILLY: [Sighs deeply] You know how things are gonna be now, don't you? You have to know. VERONICA: [Hopeful] Just like this. Just like this. LILLY: Don't forget about me, Veronica. Veronica is alone in the pool. A tear runs down her face. VERONICA: I could never.

11 Only during season 2 regular viewers would find out there are still some story steps to this narrative: when some evidence disappears, Aaron’s conviction becomes tricky and is hinging on the believability of the statements of Logan and Veronica. Aaron also gets Kendall to plant fake evidence that implicates Duncan as his sisters murderer.. 78 The ending is at the same time good and bad. Good, because Veronica found Lilly’s killer and now Lilly can rest, but at the same time sad, as Veronica now will has to cease being so intensively invested in Lilly’s life. Another story that ends happily is the “who’s her daddy” narrative. As it turns out, Keith is Veronica’s dad. Earlier on in episode 1.09 Drinking the Kool-Aid 12 , Veronica also did a test. However she decided not to read the results, she doesn’t want to know if it turns out Keith’s nemesis; the father of her ex is her biological father as well. You might say she chickened out like in story step 6.II. However she didn’t consequently hit rock bottom. In short the DNA test that gave the relieving outcome was Keith's plan, not Veronica’s or Duncan’s. Veronica didn't have an epiphany on how to proceed (story step 6.V The lead). When Keith receives the results he first pockets the letter. When later on he reads the results, the outcome is not shown. So the viewer sees two delays in getting to know the results. We don't know if it is a successful plan. The results remain a mystery until Keith decides to share them with Veronica, after Veronica signed away any claims to the Kane estate. There is nothing lost, as Veronica is without a doubt Keith’s daughter. Now Veronica can live her first choice life (concerning this narrative): knowing her dad is her biological dad. Keith’s first plan succeeded (story step 8.I but with another plan): a happy ending! The bond between Keith and Veronica is shown as a strong one when we later see Keith rescue Veronica, and Veronica telling him while she puts out the fire on his leg: “I knew you’d come, I knew you’d save me.” When Keith is put into the ambulance she says:

VERONICA: You mean the world to me, do you understand that? Are you listening to me? KEITH: Hey, who's your daddy, huh? VERONICA: [Half sob, half laugh] I hate it when you say that. Keith groans and smiles.

This is a reminder of the jokes they make to each other. Keith already asked this question when his paternity of Veronica was still undisputed, it was their thing, their routine. This time Veronica says she hates it when Keith says “Who’s your daddy”. But her face gives away that she’s actually glad that Keith can say it; in spite of the life-threatening fight he had with Aaron he’s still alive, and in spite of

12 VERONICA MARS . Episode 1.09: Drinking the Kool-Aid, 30 November 2004. 79 the earlier uncertainty about it, he is her dad. Now Veronica’s paternity is certain, this remark doesn’t sting anymore. It is just a playful reminder of the drama.

Introducing a new problem. A new problem is introduced but without an opening mystery; Lianne squandered Veronica’s college money and now also takes the money Keith earned by returning Duncan home. So Veronica and Keith have no money to spare and certainly no money for Veronica’s further education. How will they earn money to get Veronica into college? Though this seems a story ending, Keith and Veronica might want to track down Lianne and get their money back. Only time will tell 13 .

The relationship problems are intensified. After Logan broke up with Veronica, the love step 5.I re-evaluation ensues: Veronica re-evaluates with herself (and ‘best friend’ Lilly is in the background on a videotape) in the ‘safe environment’ of her own room. She re-evaluates her (former) believe in distrusting Logan. But Veronica doesn't re-evaluate her second choice life as she doesn't decide to believe Logan, but comes up with plan 3 (story step 5.IV): finding the letter Logan wrote to Lilly. Veronica sneaks into the Kane house disguised as a waiter during a party, she goes to Lilly’s room to search for the letter in Lilly’s air vent. Duncan catches her read-handed, bellowing Veronica is in the wrong room and should be looking in his room to find the evidence she needs to prove Duncan is Lilly’ killer. Veronica convinces Duncan that she doesn’t suspect him, but Logan of murdering Lilly. This illustrates her distrust of Logan didn’t fade. Though their alibis are both lied about, Veronica is inclined to trust Duncan over Logan. Which is not strange, as Logan really lied about his alibi, while Duncan had a black out. After finding the tapes with Lilly having sex with Aaron and discussing what to do with them, Duncan tells Veronica to be careful while she brings the evidence to Keith. The trust, the relationship between Veronica and Duncan is somewhat restored as Veronica doesn't suspect Duncan anymore, and helped prove he didn't kill Lilly. Him telling Veronica to be careful is not only because he is concerned for the evidence. This gesture demonstrates his remaining feelings

13 It turns out, Keith and Veronica are so disappointed and done with Lianne, that they don’t want to track her down, not even to get back the reward money. As Keith already was in the pilot episode, but which is new for Veronica. Veronica just gets another job in episode 2.01: Normal Is the Watchword. 80 for Veronica, which prompts Veronica to say there definitely not related. Veronica telling Duncan of their non-existent kinship can be labeled as a new plan, but we don’t get to see the outcome of this plan in this season ending episode. The new information that Veronica and Duncan aren’t related is a relief: the sex they had was not incestuous. This signifies a simplification of their relationship, the big crisis is averted. The leads are no longer at rock bottom (story step 6.III). In hindsight it also means that Duncan breaking up with Veronica, trying hard to compress his feelings for her by ignoring her, was not necessary. The remaining feelings, which earlier resulted in them having sex while they were split up and Duncan lashing out so viciously when Veronica suspected him of murder, can now be channeled in a healthier non-repressed way. Veronica and Duncan being a couple is would be legal again. Accept Duncan is in a relationship with a new friend of Veronica: Meg. Veronica’s relationship with Logan is also uncertain. So will they come up with new plans and choose to live their first choice life? The irony is that Logan doesn't know his second plan to avoid being accused of murder sort of worked. Veronica is sure he isn’t the killer, but not because she read his letter to Lilly. Veronica instead of finding the letter, she found tapes proving someone else the more likely suspect. She is now convinced of Logan’s innocence and is preparing to get the evidence that supports his innocence to the authorities. The discovery means Veronica's suspicion of Logan was misguided, though Logan faking his alibi and Veronica finding the cameras gave her good reason not to trust him. When Logan needs to hear it the most, standing on the ledge of a bridge, Veronica can’t reach him to tell him she doesn’t suspect him anymore. So in his mind the situation is unchanged, the problem still is huge. But even when he is informed, will it be enough? Can Logan get over the fact his girlfriend didn’t just believe him when he said he didn’t kill his former girlfriend? Will he want to get back with Veronica? Will she want to get back with him? Furthermore: how will Logan react to finding out Aaron, his own dad, killed his former girlfriend? When we already thought he was at rock bottom, will he regress even further?

A life-threatening cliffhanger, but not the ending of the episode. Before Logan hears about Veronica’s changed perspective on Lilly’s murder, Logan has to worry about bigger things: saving his own life. When Veronica tries to reach him, he seems to have already reached:

81 6.III Lead Logan lost everyone and everything that is dear to him. Logan seems to hit rock bottom.

He lost Veronica’s trust and not long ago (episode 1.15 Ruskie Business 14 ) he found out his mother didn’t run away from her cheating husband Aaron, Logan’s abusive dad. He held on to his second choice life and got drunk. He is literally standing on the edge; playing with death on the ledge of the bridge his mother jumped off to commit suicide. Still his situation gets worse when the biker gang shows up. Logan is confronted with the problem (story step 1.III)of Weevil wanting to seriously hurt him. Logan's first plan (story step 3.I) is to invite the fighting, to fight back. With a hand gesture he invites Weevil to take a first swing. But the first swing, let alone the end result of this plan isn't shown. Thus Logan’s narrative ends with a cliffhanger as the narrative is paused just before the first strike is dealt; how will Logan come through this fight?

Ending the episode An opening mystery, a cliffhanger on the character serialization level. At the end of the episode someone knocking on her front door wakes Veronica up from her dream about Lilly. The episode ends with Veronica opening the door, looking at that person and saying: “I was hoping it would be you…” The audience gets no glimpse of said person. This constitutes a cliffhanger, but not in the usual sense; there is no bloody corpse dropped off at Veronica’s doorstep. It is a cliffhanger on the character serialization level. But not in the sense that there is a new problem presented, but a cliffhanger in the sense that a scene is split in two to create the mystery of what will happen next. Wallace could be at the door, as his mom knows Veronica’s dad is in the hospital and Veronica is home alone. But Veronica’s reaction to the person at the door is so full of love and even coy, that a possible lover seems a better guess. If you look at the romantic story steps, you could say that Veronica solved the problems that kept her from being with both of her exes, as she is not Duncan’s sister and Logan is not Lilly’s killer. The question is, with which one will she reunite? Is it Duncan, her first real love who broke her heart by suddenly breaking up with her, without giving an explanation? Or is it Logan, a former friend, who terrorized her for months but whom she bonded with while researching his

14 VERONICA MARS . Episode 1.15: Ruskie Business, 22 Februari 2005. 82 mother’s suicide. Logan, who lied about his alibi making it very hard, NOT to suspect him of murdering Lilly? But during the analysis I realized that there are two differences between the two ex-lovers. Firstly: Duncan already knows the problem that stands between them is solved, as Veronica told him she’s not his sister. Logan however, is not in the knowledge that Veronica no longer suspects him of murder, now she knows his dad did it. Even if he does, this concerns another kind of problem. Logan might still hold the fact that Veronica didn’t automatically trust he didn’t do it against her. So this problem is not as easy to solve as a DNA test giving a simple yes of no outcome. Secondly: Veronica already spoke to Duncan after her life was in danger. Duncan came to witness Aaron Echolls’ arrest. Even though Duncan must have been worried about her as she didn’t check back with him like she promised, seeing each other again after Veronica’s life threatening ordeal didn’t result in Duncan and Veronica hugging, visibly relieved (like we will see at the end of episode 2.01). The person with whom the relationship was left in the middle of a crisis was Logan. In an angry fight Logan broke it off, but still telling Veronica about a letter he wrote Lilly which would prove his innocence. Logan doesn’t know that he made Veronica doubt his guilt and that she goes on to investigate. He doesn’t know she has a new suspect. He doesn’t know his father had an affair with his girlfriend, videotaped them having sex and killing her to keep it a secret. It is Logan who Veronica is trying to reach when she’s driving home with the videotapes. So most likely it is Logan she wants to reach.

Episode 2.01: Normal Is The Watchword 15 . Revealing bit by bit what she did last summer, presenting another mystery.

Beginning the new season, reintroducing the lead Veronica Mars The characters are reintroduced, but new viewers are misled in the beginning of this episode. The writers also play with the expectations of the loyal viewers. There is a second season, so there has to be conflict in order to create interesting narratives. What will happen now the big murder mystery of last season is solved? Apparently nothing: Veronica works at a coffee shop to earn her money for

15 VERONICA MARS . Episode 2.01: Normal Is The Watchword, 28 September 2005 83 college. Regular viewers deduct that after the events in episode 1.22 Keith doesn’t want Veronica to do detective work, to prevent her from further harm.

"Normal. That's the watchword. Sounds good, doesn't it? Senior year begins tomorrow and all appears hunky dory. Best friend? Check. Boyfriend? Check. Lilly's killer behind bars? Check. Normal job, just like other people my age. I just wish fewer of my classmates showed up here."

Veronica’s VO illustrates how this season begins as the opposite of the start of the pilot, where she had no friends, no boyfriend, her best friend was just murdered and her father shunned for suspecting that the confessed killer was not the actual killer. On top of that Veronica had a moonlighting job shooting pictures of affairs keeping her up at night, so she falls asleep during classes, now she has a normal job as a hostess in a coffee bar. Only her remark suggesting she doesn’t like to interact with her classmates is the only hint for new viewers that Veronica isn’t your stereotypical cheerleader high school girl type.

From left to right the characters: Dick and Cassidy “Beaver” Casablancas, friends of Logan, new enemy Jackie who is introduced in episode 2.02, Veronica and Keith Mars, Wallace, Logan and Eli “Weevil”. Source: www.serieslive.com/img/wallpaper/1024_768/veronica_mars_10.jpg

A potential mystery of the week is presented, when a jock from school asks Veronica to help him prove him failing the mandatory drug test is a mistake. By failing the test he is banned from doing football for the rest of the year. Veronica

84 keeps to hers and her father’s resolution to live the life of a normal teenager so she turns the job down. The only thing that seemed to have stayed the same is that people are still badmouthing about her, as Kevin asks her if it’s true what they say; that she’s an 09-er now she landed herself a rich boyfriend, that last year was just an act. Veronica is not surprised that people are talking smack about her; last year was the same. Kevin adds: “You gotta pick sides in this town these days. You picked yours.” These remarks give away a hint of a new conflict, an opening mystery as with story step 1.Ia.

During work at the lunchroom Veronica and her colleague watch Keith promoting his book about his investigation of the Lilly Kane murder on television. He had to take the book deal, to be able to pay the hospital bill. Her colleague informs Veronica that her boyfriend is there to see her. Veronica thinks back to the night Aaron was arrested. When someone was at her door and she said: “I was hoping it would be you” (the same of the ending of episode 1.22). The viewer sees a silhouette, prolonging the suspense. When it is Logan who steps in the light, Veronica says his name in a surprised tone. But is she surprised to see him all battered up, or because she had mistaken him for Duncan? Is she glad to see him, because she was concerned of what he would do now he lost his mother and was suspected of murdering his last girlfriend by his current girlfriend? Or did she have an epiphany, realizing she wants him (love step 5.II)? Only after long consideration it was in hindsight that I realized: Veronica already saw Duncan that night at the scene of Aaron's arrest. If she wanted to be with him, she could have said so. But when she tried to call Logan to tell him she was wrong to suspect him, she couldn’t reach him. Logan was the guy she still wanted to speak to. Besides apologizing to him, she has to inform him that his dad killed his ex- girlfriend. So Veronica probably was glad to see Logan, not Duncan.

During the episode: reversal of the presumed status quo. Introducing a mythological season long murder mystery. Logan tells Veronica what happened to him that night, why he looks so battered. He was depressed and drinking because Veronica suspected him of Lilly’s murder. The motorcycle gang came to beat him up for the same reason (as at the end of episode 1.22 but now we get to see the end result of the fight). Logan kicked Weevil unconscious but minutes later he is knocked out too. He wakes up

85 with someone telling him to drop the bloody knife and with a dead biker lying beside him. A new murder mystery is introduced. When Logan tells her the story, saying he didn’t stab Felix, Veronica immediately says: “I believe you.”. This is new, Veronica believing Logan on his word!

6.IV The lead Veronica apparently realizes her fear is constricting her. She chooses her first choice life trusting Logan, which changes her. Because the pain of not living in her first choice life is bigger than the fear of her second choice life. 6.V The lead has an epiphany on how to proceed. 6.VI This insight leads to plan 4, believing Logan and telling him she does, with which the lead hopes to make up for everything and to be able to reach ‘heaven’ with the other.

Last episode she jumped to doubt Logan's innocence. Since then, Veronica’s trust her own mother betrayed her trust, which shouldn’t be an incentive to easily trust people. Is Veronica is truly breaking with her second choice life? Apparently the example of her trustworthy dad weighs heavier. Veronica stayed loyal to Keith when he doubted Jake Kane's statement about the day his daughter was killed. And Keith turned out to be right, making Veronica’s unwavering trust in him justified. So Veronica trusting someone on his word isn’t new, but trusting Logan is. After Logan tells Veronica what happened that evening, a former date of Veronica, deputy Leo, comes to her house to arrest Logan. This makes the problem more forceful (story step 2.II). The viewer returns to the present where Veronica and her colleague watch her dad rehashing the night Aaron Echolls got arrested. Veronica’s VO understates that she has “plenty of material for any back- to-school what-I-did-last-summer essay I'm asked to write", emphasizing that she didn’t have an uneventful summer, as her statement at the beginning of the episode suggested.

Reintroducing the moonlighting job with the mystery of the week Veronica tries to obey her father’s wishes and stop with the detective work. The next morning she starts school with the intention to try and be more like the average high school student, but then she finds out that next to the football player, her good friend Wallace and her former friend Meg also failed the drug test. As with Logan, she has no problem believing in the innocence of Wallace and Meg. Unlike Kevin Moore asking for help, the wrongful accusation of Wallace and

86 Meg is enough incentive for Veronica to pick up her sleuthing again. Like she says quoting Michael Corleone's line in The Godfather, Part III: "Just when I think I'm out, they pull me back in." And with her, Wallace is also pulled back in, as he helps her with every step on the way to solving this mystery of the week. After the series jingle, Veronica starts her first plan to solve the case: she tries to find out if all the students who surprisingly failed the test have a common enemy. This plan seems to fail as every student names another nemesis. But then Wallace helps to find Veronica’s first suspect, when he points out that all the athletes were present when the quarterback pulled down the pants of a sophomore. This suspect Vincent “Butters” indeed holds a deep grudge. Veronica threatens a pounding by the quarterback when Veronica tells him Vincent is behind the failed drug test. But Vincent is not intimidated and it immediately becomes clear why as he great his father in the hallway of school: Vincent is the son of the vice- principle. When Veronica and Wallace break into the administration office, it becomes clear that Vincent didn’t alter the result letters of the drug test, plan 2 fails. With plan 3 Veronica makes Wallace pee on a stick to test if he unknowingly ate drug- laced cookies, but that isn’t the case either.

Story ending: solving the mystery of the week. The mystery of the week, the weird drug test results is resolved; a group of parents of the kids that would replace the students who failed the drug test bribed a lab-technician to falsify the results. Veronica proved this by executing plan 4: inviting the parents to the restaurant she works via an email in the name of the lab-technician, threatening to spill unless he receives more money. Veronica situated the negotiation in the restaurant she works. She bugs the table where she seated the parents and gave an earpiece to the vice principal to listen in on their conversation. He hears enough to restore the credibility of the students that were wrongly accused, plan 4 (not 5) works.

Introductions Introducing new characters. Because this season will address new mysteries, new characters are introduced in the first episode, like in a pilot episode. The new characters are named and with a few comments from other characters a back story is outlined. They need a

87 lengthier introduction then the regular characters which only need small establishing remarks. In this first episode of the season their characters don’t experience much progression in narrative besides their introduction. Dick and Beaver Casablancas are re-introduced as two brothers that don’t get along very well but both hang out with Logan. They help him set fire to the local swimming pool. Kendall Casablancas is new. She is introduced as new character, Dick and Beave’s stepmother and their father’s second wife. She is very young, very sexy and is rude to her stepchildren and their friends. Terrence Cook is introduced as a former famous baseball player. He seems nice enough when introduced to the kids and when talking to Veronica about her father being a fan, but in the first shot we see him, he is arguing fervently with his former employee mister Goodman. Woody and Gia Goodman. Woody is a very rich man, owning a baseball team. He wants to be mayor and thus tries to win the whole town over. Previously he coached some of the classmates in little league. He is very chipper, or as Duncan puts it: Gia now has to attend the public school as her father thought it was important now he is a mayoral candidate. She is very concerned with fitting in, so her father offered a field trip to his stadium to every kid of her favorite class. Gia is also very concerned about her clothing, comes across as superficial. Dick is immediately very interested, as she is fresh meat. He offers her a ride back in the limo instead of the bus.

Reintroducing Allies Wallace Fennel and father Keith Mars Wallace is reintroduced as the good friend, who is more of a straight arrow then Veronica is. Veronica doesn’t have to rethink her conviction that Wallace failing the drug test is incorrect. Wallace is re-established (story step 1.Ib) as someone prone to be uneasy with the shady stuff Veronica does and pointing out, that she’s not a normal teenager when they break into the vice-principal’s office:

WALLACE: Permanent files are in that brownish-beige filing cabinet. VERONICA: I can't believe after a year of working here, you don't know the make and model of the filing cabinet. Veronica digs a large bunch of keys out of her bag. WALLACE: Yeah, it is hard to believe. Usually, memorizing that information is the first thing I do when I enter a room containing a filing cabinet.

88 VERONICA: Well, get comfortable, then, Mr. Sarcastic, because this might take a while. Unless...[…] She opens a drawer and bingo. She grabs the key and holds it up to Wallace. VERONICA: Scary, isn't it? The lax security? VERONICA: What if someone was trying to alter your permanent file? WALLACE: We're trying to alter it, right now. VERONICA: Alter it back, there's a difference. WALLACE: "Alter it back." Cool. I was wondering where we were drawing that ethical line this year.

Wallace is weary, but willing to help. And getting better at the detective stuff himself, as he managed to copy the master key to all the school classrooms and getting all the passwords he could find before resigning as office aid. Keith Mars is reintroduced as the loving father who struggles to raise his daughter right. He reluctantly agrees to a book deal to be able to pay the bills. His heroic feat of rescuing his daughter in episode 1.22 is rehashed. Keith, as Wallace points out his daughter doesn’t act like a normal teenager:

KEITH: What's up, honey? VERONICA: Wallace is having a little trouble giving me a urine sample. Keith sighs as he stares down at his daughter. KEITH: Can't you talk on the phone and paint your nails like other girls?

Keith’s relationship with Wallace’s mom is mentioned, but Alicia Fennel has no screen time in this episode. Veronica’s mom is only mentioned when Veronica’s voice-over recapitulates why Keith had to take the book deal: Veronica’s mom took the Kane’s settlement check and threw away Veronica’s college money by checking out of rehab early.

“A long time ago, we used to be friends”; former friends, new enemies Another problem is introduced in the beginning of the episode. There is an opening mystery when Veronica’s former 09-er friend Meg, now is very hostile towards Veronica. Even when Meg is wrongfully accused of drug abuse and Veronica is voluntarily trying to save her reputation. Meg is not the only former friend that turns hostile towards Veronica. Weevil was tolerating Veronica after she kept his boys out of jail in the pilot episode and was even a friend after she got him out of jail in episode 1.19 16 . But during this episode, when Veronica explains how the situation in

16 VERONICA MARS , Episode 1.19: Hot Dogs, 19 April 2005. 89 Neptune became so tense, we see Weevil and his PCH gang glaring at Veronica. Like with story step 2.II, the problem gets more dangerous: even Weevil, who was doing favors for Veronica after she got him out of jail last season, seems to have turned on Veronica. It is only a confirmation of what the viewer could deduct from the scene where the sound of bikes precedes Logan and Veronica getting shot at while making out in Logan’s car: Veronica became persona non grata. Veronica’s voice-over explains:

"Tensions in Neptune are the highest they've ever been between the haves and the have-nots, 09ers and non-09ers. And guess who the lightning rod is? […] Logan's high-priced lawyers crushed the PCHers who testified against Logan at preliminary hearing. "Weren't they there, after all, to kill Logan?" "Didn't Logan have the bruises and broken ribs to prove it?" "If Logan did stab Felix, wasn't it self-defense?" The DA decided he didn't have enough evidence to convict, so six weeks after he was arrested, Logan walked. And the town went crazy. Another rich kid getting off scot-free."

During the summer, Veronica was at Logan’s side during his trial. His expensive lawyers got Logan out of jail by pleading self-defense. The poor side of town saw it as another rich kid, buying his freedom. The whole town seemed at war; privileged against underprivileged. In a flashback we see that Veronica doesn’t like that Logan and his friends decided to retaliate after being shot at. Logan and his boys burned the local pool. All the rich people have pools in their back yards, so the fire didn’t effect them.

The no longer ex-boyfriend and the scorned exes. After solving the mystery of the week Veronica’s colleague tells Veronica her boyfriend is there to see her, and Duncan walks up and they kiss passionately! The next day at school, Veronica meets up with Duncan to go with him on a school field trip. Logan making comments about “young love” harasses them and tells Veronica he misses her. With a voice-over and a flashback Veronica explains she broke up with Logan, because she couldn’t stand him and his friends fuelling the frenzy in time by torching the public swimming pool facilities. Logan takes it very bad; he knocks down a lamp and starts shouting at Veronica. “My mom is dead! My girlfriend is dead! My dad is a murderer! And the only person I still care about is dumping me..?” Keith kicks Logan out of the apartment, telling Logan that no one talks to his daughter like that; Logan has to leave and never

90 return. This coupled with Logan not talking to Duncan anymore and harassing them when Veronica and Duncan kiss each other, signifies he is still unhappy about the break-up. Veronica and Duncan getting back together also explains why Meg is mad at Veronica. When Meg refuses a ride in the limo Dick arranged to avoid having to ride the stinking school bus back from the field trip, the viewer is reminded she is still mad at Veronica. Veronica’s voice over explains that Veronica did nothing wrong, she and Duncan were single when they started dating. It's ironic Meg stays so angry, as last season Veronica went past her own feelings for Duncan and played Meg and Duncan's cupid. Still Veronica understands Meg’s feelings:

DUNCAN: You don't owe her anything. You didn't do anything to her. VERONICA: You are so not a girl!

Veronica comes up with another plan (another as she tells Duncan she will "try and talk to Meg one more time" without Duncan being present. So she tells Duncan to take the limo and she will talk to Meg on the bus. But Meg still holds on to her former plans: being rude to Veronica and avoiding contact where possible. When the bus stops to tank, all the students are allowed to stretch their legs for a few minutes. Meg comes up with a new plan to get back at Veronica, letting her miss the bus by lying to the teacher that everyone is present.

Promise of future conflict. The appearance that Logan is heartbroken about the break-up with Veronica is diminished by the revelation that he has a secret relationship with an older married woman. Though he immediately realized he wanted to be with Veronica, it doesn't keep him from engaging in a sexual relationship. Logan seems a bit reckless, what will her husband, father of Dick and Beaver do if he would find out? Logan is definitely holding on to his second choice life as jack-ass: coping with the pain by having an affair with trophy wife Kendall Casablancas and badgering Veronica and Duncan. How will this unfold?

The question who killed Felix is reintroduced and becomes more pressing as Veronica walks into head of the motorcycle gang Weevil at the gas station where the bus stops to tank. Weevil believes Logan killed Weevil's friend Felix. He still wants revenge and is even mad at Veronica for choosing to believe Logan didn't do it.

91 Veronica comes up with plan 1 (story step 3.I): not trying to convince Weevil of Logan's good character, but appealing to him with logic. She makes him realize that his gang doesn't always does his bidding anymore. She rightly deduced that though Weevil is mad at her, he would not have agreed to the shooting of Logan with Veronica present. Weevil initially holds on to his second choice life (story step 3.II) believing Logan killed Felix and Veronica nonetheless choosing his side. Thus Weevil is re-established as the vigilant advocate of the have-nots of the town of Neptune. He even seems a bit hurt that Veronica "went back to" the rich guys of the 09 zip code. Just like his ex Lilly, Veronica went back to Logan. At the end of the scene Veronica’s plan seems to work though: she raises Weevil's doubt that Logan was the killer. Weevil even offers her a ride when the bus drives off, like they could be friends again. Still, this doesn’t mean Logan is off the hook.

New mystery on the mythological narrative level to solve. Veronica sits on the backseat of Weevil's motorcycle, they ride along the Pacific Coast Highway, next to the cliffs. There is smoke up ahead. When they get nearer, they see the limo stopped, people streaming out and looking down into a cliff. The bus crashed. Gia says the bus didn't slow down. Veronica's voice over comments: "This is Neptune. Nothing happens accidentally". These remarks indicate the bus crash might not have been just a tragic accident. If it is, or isn’t, what happened to make the bus crash is an opening mystery (story step 1.Ia). It is also a cliffhanger: for now it remains unclear if indeed all the passengers on the school bus died in the crash. Duncan was presented with a new problem: he thought Veronica was on the bus. When she arrives at the scene with Weevil, Duncan is relieved to see, she wasn't. Veronica should have been dead as well; only Meg’s need for vengeance saved her life. Duncan’s girlfriend is alive. But his ex Meg was on the bus to avoid Duncan and Veronica; this might create feelings of guilt, and might present potential future conflict.

92 Brief summary of other season transitions

2.16 The Rapes of Graff 17 . An early introduction of the Hearst Rapist of the third season. I address this episode because it introduces a mystery that will return in episode 3.01 18 . Though episode 2.16 is not a seasonal ending. Veronica visits Hearst College with Wallace for the get-to-know-Hearst- weekend. She only goes because it means a day off from school. She is planning to go to Harvard on the Kane scholarship awarded to the Neptune High student with the highest test scores. At Hearst Veronica meets an old boyfriend Troy VanderGraff, who betrayed her trust in episode 1.05 You Think You Know Somebody 19 . Troy claims to be on the good path, that he didn’t commit the crime he is accused of later that weekend: raping a girl on the Hearst College Campus. Veronica reluctantly starts helping him prove he didn’t do it. In the end it turns out Troy spoke the truth: he didn’t rape the girl. Veronica found another girl who was raped when Troy was still in another state. But Veronica doesn’t find out who the perpetrator was. During her investigation in the rape case Veronica also brings down a fraternity by letting the Dean of administration know about their extracurricular activities during orientation: the fraternity conducts a contest with an elaborate grading system. The grading system awards the frat boy who sleeps with the hottest and hardest to get into bed girls and punishes the frat boys that don’t succeed in having sex that weekend. In result the frat house hates her, as Wallace sarcastically comments:

“That’s Veronica Mars. Making friends and influencing people wherever she goes. See, if you come here next year, you’ve already got enemies. [You’d] Just feel right at home.”

Not only have the enemies of Veronica already been introduced, the mythological mystery of who the rapist is, is reintroduced as Troy isn’t the rapist. So the introduction of the mystery story line is already in place if the writers decide to place Veronica at Hearst in the next year, instead of Harvard.

17 VERONICA MARS . Episode 2.16: The Rapes of Graff, 29 March 2006.. 18 VERONICA MARS . Episode 3.01: Leave It To Beaver, 3 October 2006. 19 VERONICA MARS , Episode 1.05: You Think You Know Somebody, 26 October 2004. 93 2.22 Not Pictured and 3.01 Welcome Wagon In the previous episode 2.21 Happy Go Lucky 20 , Veronica and Keith investigated why Mayor Woody Goodman is receiving bomb threats. They discovered a threatening mail, where to guys that were on the bus implicated Goodman as a child molester. Veronica and Keith found out two of the boys that where on the bus, were molested by Mayor Woody Goodman when he coached them in little league baseball. They were planning on outing the Mayor. Because of the investigation by Keith into the bomb threats on Keith, and Woody discovering Veronica at his computer tipped him off and he fled Neptune. In episode 2.22 Not Pictured 21 , Keith tracks Woody down and brings him back on a plane. So the mythological mystery of who blew up the bus seemingly has its resolution. Accept Woody admits he had ‘a lot of love’ for the boys, he insists he didn’t put a bomb on the bus to crash it. While talking about a graduation party, Veronica’s new friend Mac discusses the lack of enthusiasm of her boyfriend Cassidy ‘Beaver’ Casablancas to have sex with her. Veronica finds out Wallace’s new girlfriend Jackie (who was introduced in episode 2.02 Driver Ed 22 ) lied about going to a French college, instead returned to New York to take care of her never before mentioned son. Veronica again sees a picture of the little league with the two boys that were on the bus, but now sees a text that says one boy was not pictured: Cassidy Casablancas. Veronica tries to warn her friend Mac that her boyfriend is a killer, but Mac doesn’t pick up; she is taking a shower after Cassidy failed to perform. Cassidy intercepts Veronica’s warning text message and tricks her to meet him on the roof, where he is waiting with a gun. He informs Veronica that he was the one that blew up the bus to prevent the two boys from making public that they and Cassidy where molested by Woody. He also informs Veronica that, like she suspected because both she and Woody tested positive for Chlamydia, Cassidy did rape Veronica the night she was drugged before she had consensual sex with Duncan. Cassidy blows up the plane in which Keith is bringing Woody Goodman back to Neptune. When Cassidy attacks Veronica, she manages to forward text message to Logan, who comes to rescue her and prevents her from shooting Cassidy. But they can’t prevent Cassidy from committing suicide by jumping of the roof.

20 VERONICA MARS . Episode 2.21: Happy Go Lucky, 2 May 2006. 21 VERONICA MARS . Episode 2.22: Not Pictured, 9 May 2006 22 VERONICA MARS , Episode 2.02: Driver Ed, 5 October 2005. 94 It turns out Keith wasn’t on the plane, he arrives early in the morning to find Logan sleeping on the couch. Veronica graduates, without earning the scholarship, as she skips a test to witness the ruling on Aaron Echolls trial. He gets out because lack of evidence, but is assassinated on the order of Duncan, who is living in Australia since he kidnapped his and Meg’s baby to prevent it from being raised by her abusive grandfather. So the mythological mystery of who blew up the bus is solved in a very emotional finale. The mythological mystery of who killed Felix was already solved in episode 2.17 23 when it becomes clear that one of the PCH hoodlums is working with the crazy catholic gang, The Fitzpatrick brothers, although Weevil is against working with them. Because Felix was in the way, and had a secret relationship with Molly Fitzpatrick, they had him killed. In the last scene a smaller new mystery is presented. Veronica is back with Logan, he drops her off at the airport. Keith promised Veronica a trip to New York, but postpones without reaching Veronica, to help criminal Cassidy Casablancas with something she shows him in a briefcase that is worth a lot of money. This is the opening mystery ending this episode. Other than with the earlier opening mysteries presented in last episodes nobody died. Not yet. It is an opening mystery.

Episode 3.01: Welcome Wagon In episode 3.01 Veronica goes to Hearst College. She could afford to go to Harvard as she didn’t receive the Kane scholarship. She still lives with her dad. Other old classmates at Hearst are Wallace, Mac, Logan, and Dick Casablancas. There is a seeming retraction of the problem: the relationship between Keith and Veronica seems untarnished, although Veronica remarks she was alone for the first three days of their planned trip to New York. Keith says his next job will be following a bale-jumper, the case with Kendall Casablancas seems resolved.

23 VERONICA MARS . Episode 2.17: Plan B, 5 April 2006. 95 Then it turns out Keith was lying about the bale-jumper, creating new opening mysteries: why did Keith lie to Veronica? Keith, usually working hard to put criminals in jail, picks up a criminal who just gets released from prison. Cormack Fitzpatrick, older brother of known criminal Liam Fitzpatrick is out on good behavior. Keith seems in a hurry to get Cormack where he needs to go. This is another opening mystery: why is Keith helping this man? And what is he helping him with?

From left to right the characters: Eli “Weevil”, new friends Parker and Stosh “Piz” Piznarski, Veronica and Keith Mars and Dick Casablancas. Seated: Wallace, Logan, Cindy “Mac” Mackenzie, Sheriff Don Lamb. Source: www.serieslive.com/img/wallpaper/1600_1200.veronica_mars_11.jpg

It turns out the case where Kendall asked Keith’s assistance for is still ongoing. Keith is paid to arrange a meet between criminal lovers Kendall (formerly Kendall Casablancas, and Logan’s former sex date) and her lover Cormack Fitzpatrick after his stint in prison. Kendall is fleeing Liam Fitzpatrick who wants a bigger chunk of the money the deceased Cassidy Casablancas earned in her name (because he was a minor he couldn’t sign himself as the head of the corporation). But Kendall asked Keith to make her disappear in order to share her money with Cormack. Now Keith is bringing Cormack to a remote cabin in the middle of the desert to reunite the two. When Keith goes into the car for some papers, he finds a spy pen from a rivaling private detective, indicating Liam is on

96 their tail. So he runs back to the cabin to warn Kendall and Cormack into safety. But Keith gets in the middle of a who-is-scamming-who situation: he sees Cormack, who seemed so in love two minutes ago, firing two times into the other room. Then Cormack turns to Keith. Keith is shot in the leg, but manages to escape. Cormack shouts after him:

“Awfully cold night, Keith… I'll come and pick up your carcass in the morning. Guess Kendall wasn't that great a judge of character after all!”

After this turn of events, with Keith being in mortal, but not immediate mortal danger, the narrative is paused until next week. So the narrative pauses after it has gotten more exciting because the problem has intensified (story step 2.II). But this cliffhanger doesn’t end the episode.

Veronica’s first mystery of the week at Hearst College is helping Wallace’s roommate Piz to return his stolen furniture. Piz is interested in Veronica romantically, but soon finds out Veronica is still involved with Logan. Still there is room for future conflict. Veronica also meets Mac’s roommate, promiscuous girl Parker. When Veronica gets some band tickets from Mac and Parker’s room, Parker appears to have another one night stand. The next morning Veronica and Mac wake up from a screaming Parker. Parker woke up with a shaved head; she is the next victim of the Hearst rapist. Occasional or new viewers of VERONICA MARS would not recognize the shaven head as an indication that the girl is raped. Still this would work as the opening mystery of what happened to her and who shaved her head? For regular viewers Parker being the new victim reintroduces the rapist story line. The question remains the same: who was the Hearst Rapist? The fact that Veronica knows Parker and even was in the room when it happened, meaning she could have stopped it if she didn’t think Parker was a floozy, will result in extra motive for Veronica to solve the case. Like she says to Wallace in episode 3.02 My Big Fat Greek Rush Week 24 : “[I’m] Turning my unbearable guilt into steely resolve. I think it's working.. […] Done. I'm gonna catch the rapist and see him crucified.” other than with the opening mystery presented with a cliffhanger of Logan’s fight at the end of the first season, the results of the opening mystery of what is in

24 VERONICA MARS . Episode 3.02: My Big Fat Greek Rush Week, 10 October 2006. 97 Kendalls suitcase doesn’t encompass the most of the next series. That role is reserved for the mystery introduced in episode 2.16; who is the Hearst rapist?

From season- long narratives to smaller arcs Because of interference of the network executives, Rob Thomas and his team of writers were forced to rush the unraveling of the Hearst Rapist mystery. The network wanted shorter episode spanning storylines, as they figured it was too hard for casual viewers to get hooked when watching an episode in the middle of the season. Season 3 knew three mythological mystery narratives. But the rushed and unsatisfying narratives didn’t do VERONICA MARS ’ ratings any good; the show was cancelled after season 3 25 . Even though Rob Thomas already made a teaser half episode in which the story line of Veronica skips a few years and is shown as a new FBI agent with new love interests. To no avail, the executives didn’t budge and the show remained cancelled. Negotiations on a Veronica Mars movie, where Veronica would be back in college, were shot down for the same fear of Veronica not bringing in enough revenue 26 .

3.09. Spit and Eggs 27 . After her break up with Logan, because of different goals in life, Veronica needs a distraction. She finds it by teaming up with Wallace, Mac and Piz and goes to a frat party to prevent other girls from getting raped. When Piz and Wallace are following another lead, Veronica finds a drugged cup and rushes to the dorm of the drugged girl. There she is just in time to find out the rapist is Mercer, a friend of Logan, whom Veronica previously proved innocent by finding out his alibi. Veronica gets into a struggle with Mercer, but gets away by stabbing him in the leg with a unicorn. She runs away wounded and is found by Moe a super nerd who was one of the employees of an on campus cab service intended to bring drunk girls home safe. He turns out to be Mercer’s accomplice and he has drugged Veronica with the tea he gave her moments earlier. As she’s getting woozy, she manages to pull a rape whistle from her jacket and blow it before the guys take it

25 Ausiello, Michael, "Veronica Mars Is Now "Officially Dead"", TV-guide , posted: June 2007 http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-Editors-Blog/Ausiello-Report/Veronica-Mars- Officially/800016822 26 Bettinger, Brendan "Producer Joel Silver explains why a Veronica Mars movie will not happen at Warner Bros.". Collider.com. Posted; 1 June 2010 http://www.collider.com/2010/06/01/veronica-mars-movie-joel-silver-rob-thomas-kristin-bell/ 27 VERONICA MARS . Episode 3.09: Spit and Eggs, 28 November 2006. 98 from her. Former rape victim Parker gets her revenge as she gets out of her room to find Mercer standing in the hallway with a bleeding leg. Parker starts screaming “rape”, waking the whole dorm. Mercer and Moe flee the scene, but Keith finds them in a hotel by tracking their cell phone. Logan, though they broke up, uses his own crooked methods to revenge Veronica’s ordeal: he uses a bat to trash a police wagon in order to get thrown in jail with Mercer and Moe, to be able to kick their asses. Another mythological mystery is introduced when the dean is lying dead on his desk, after finding out his wife was having an affair with Veronica’s favorite professor. He was already a target of pestering when he voted to allow the fraternity houses to open again. Was it murder or was it suicide?

3.20: The Bitch Is Back 28 solving a small mythological mystery and ideas for season 4: Veronica goes FBI 29 . In episode 3.20 a video of Veronica and Piz making out was made into a viral email. Logan blames and punches Piz. Veronica confronts him about it:

VERONICA: He’s [Piz] having trouble breathing because of his ribs. He got five stitches over his eye. LOGAN: Only five? VERONICA: You’re a lunatic. LOGAN: You didn't know he was taping you? VERONICA: [furious] Because he didn't! LOGAN: [shouting] Oh, come on, Veronica. Who else would have or could have done that? VERONICA: Here’s what I know: it wasn't Piz, and it could not be less of your business. LOGAN: Aren’t we trying to be friends? As your friend, I was angry at what happened to you. Someone’s always supposed to pay, right? Isn’t that the rule we live by? VERONICA: We tried to be friends, and it didn't work… [struggling with her emotions] This is the moment, Logan, right now, where it's just done. You’re out of my life forever.

Parker and Logan became an item, but Parker breaks up with Logan, as he is obviously still in love with Veronica. Veronica is convinced Piz didn’t make or spread the video. Veronica pulls out all the stops, angrily interrogating several college students to find out who spread the video. A hidden video camera was placed in Wallace and Piz’ room. It seems a secret society put the camera there in

28 VERONICA MARS . Episode 3.20: The Bitch Is Back, 22 May 2007. 29 Only available on the DVD of the third season of VERONICA MARS , and can be found online. 99 order to find out some dirt on new recruit Wallace. Wallace does Veronica a huge favor by trying to infiltrate the secret society to get the answer. To no avail, he gets caught and is thrown out of the building wearing only a boxer and socks. Veronica learns Jake Kane was in the secret society and breaks in to steal a hard drive where all the members of the secret society tell their darkest secrets. Though she finds dirt on the guy that spread the video, his family connections with murderous gangsters make Veronica back off. But Logan doesn’t care, and in a similar action to thrashing Mercer in episode 3.09 and fighting with Piz at the beginning of this episode: he starts punching the guy. So have the characters of Veronica and Logan evolved? Not really. Veronica proves she still lives by the “eye-for-an-eye-code”. Her settling down with the easy going Piz seems now impossible as their very different natures make them an odd couple. Logan is like Veronica, as he points out in the quote above: “Someone’s always supposed to pay, right? Isn’t that the rule we live by?”. But Logan goes beyond Veronica’s level of need for revenge: even endangering his own life. What will this mean for the relationships between Veronica and Piz and Veronica and Logan? There is promise of future conflict. Especially when Veronica’s facial expressions reveal that she actually likes the idea of Logan punching the guy although he knows he could get in trouble for it and apologizing to Piz for punching him. Moments before, instead of ignoring Logan, she says after Logan repeatedly apologizing tells him “It’s a nice gesture, but it’s gonna take some time this time”. So she gives him hope that there is a chance they will make up some time in the future, which is a step back from her earlier statement, that she and Logan were done. Keith is disappointed with Veronica when he as interim sheriff finds out it was Veronica who broke into the Kane residence. He covers for her by destroying the evidence video surveillance tape. The tempering with the evidence is picked up by the local news paper. So Veronica’s reckless break in might result in Keith not getting reelected as regular sheriff. This might mean future conflict for the relationship between Keith and his daughter, but when Keith is shown taking a lot of time to prepare a lovely meal for his daughter the bond between the two is shown strong as before. Though the episode ends with Veronica voting for her dad against all hopes wishing he wins, the unusual weather, heavy rains in southern California, don’t bode well. The outcome is strictly left unknown, but the writers don’t leave a lot of hope. As the narratives between Veronica and Piz, Veronica and Logan, and the future of her dad are sort of left open, the series

100 breathes a sense of future (though possibly not a bright one). In the last shot, Veronica walks alone, away from the camera, hugging herself while walking slowly through the rain.

The FBI pilot Episode 4.01 is half a pilot intended to persuade the network executives to continue the series, alas to no avail. The narrative puts Veronica a few years later as she finished college and her FBI training. In the episode Veronica starts out as a fresh FBI agent. She infiltrates a reform high school as undercover agent to prove that the warden shaves months of sentences in return for sexual favors. None of the old characters are shown and the pilot introduces an FBI-agent and hinting at a romantic entanglement he had with Veronica. New possible love interest, new exes and new enemies are all introduced. During an investigation about some bombings Veronica gets too close to the truth and her colleague is held at the point of a knife. This is the height, the big climax, of one narrative that goes down very quick, being the second storyline in 15 minutes. This climax could be seen as story step 7.I because Veronica figures out who the perpetrator is, but can’t prevent her colleague from being in danger

The narrative format.

The opening sequence of VERONICA MARS is accompanied with the music We Used to Be Friends from The Dandy Warhols 30 . We see fragments of scenes and stills in bright red yellow and black colors of the characters we later get to know as Veronica Mars, Wallace, Duncan Kane, Logan Echolls, the newsroom teacher, Weevil and Keith Mars, accompanied with the names of the actors and scribbled drawings on pieces of college block paper.

The narrative format of VERONICA MARS uses a mystery of the week. Other than HOUSE MD in VERONICA MARS the pith of the matter lies not with the tension of lives being in danger, but the tension of not knowing itself. Even opening mysteries are introduced with hints alluding to the mystery, even though the narrator (Veronica Mars’ voice-over) frequently already knows the whole truth. For example when in the pilot episode Veronica’s voice over introduces the mystery of who raped her by saying:

30 For the lyrics, see Appendix 3. 101 “Quite a reputation I’ve got, huh. You wanna know how I lost my virginity? … So do I.”

Then follow the flashbacks accompanied by Veronica’s voice over explaining what happened, what is known and what is unknown. That is another characteristic of Veronica Mars: the extensive use of flashbacks. Not only for introductions in the pilot episode. In episode 2.01 the flashbacks are used throughout the episode to slowly reveal what happened to Veronica during the summer. The flashbacks are used to raise certain expectancies with the viewer about how Veronica’s life changed. Seemingly everything went smooth after the capture of Lilly’s killer. Bit by bit it is revealed that Veronica actually had a very eventful summer. She supported her boyfriend Logan through a trial when he was suspect of the murder on a gang member. She was shot at, broke up with her boyfriend Logan, and reunited with her ex Duncan.

In respect to her love life, the series VERONICA MARS is very different from

HOUSE MD. Where with House the first kiss with Cuddy only occurs in the fifth season, Veronica begins with the series with an ex, has dates with a guy who turns out to be a drug dealer, is hit on by a classmate suspected of making bomb threats at their school, dates a deputy but breaks it of as she is kissed by former enemy Logan Echolls. They engage in a secret relationship that causes Duncan to freak out when he hears about it. Then Veronica finds out Duncan broke up with her because they might have been half-brother and sister, but luckily her father tells her that is not the case. All these things just happen in the first season. Veronica’s eye-for-an-eye mentality creates another kind of tension. After being checked by the rules of religion for so long, polite society is now ruled by a more socially based value system, lines of what is appropriate and what isn’t a tad blurry. But the characters of Veronica and Dr House tread well over that line. Veronica gets even in ways you would fantasize about, but would never do. House is as honest and blunt to his colleagues and patients as you might sometimes wish to be, but because of polite society rules you refrain from. There mentalities make them so “bad-ass” and fun to watch. So the viewer isn’t disappointed, when the characters take a long time to leave their second choice life behind. As in real life, it is hard to change your ways and this would not happen overnight.

VERONICA MARS is very soapy in respect to the quick hook ups and break- ups, but not so soapy in the sense that there is no dwelling on the emotional aspect

102 of those moments in particular. Veronica is not one to dwell, she’s a girl of actions, and revenge plots. As Veronica works through her own pain by focusing on her cases (like in episodes 3.09 and 3.12 31 when she breaks up with Logan twice), we speed to the result: when her father’s name is cleared at the end of season 1, at the start of season 2 Veronica already managed to make new enemies, or as the tune of the series indicates: people who “used to be friends”. If the show would have fun longer, her character probably would have evolved more. After all, she already evolved in learning to trust people besides her father. Maybe in the following seasons she would have checked herself more often, like she does at the end of episode 3.12 when she decides not to have the car of her enemy crushed.

VERONICA MARS started out as a serial narrative spanning a whole season with the procedural feature of the case-of-the-week. But creator Rob Thomas was pressured by the network to downplay the serial element, because of the difficulty for new viewers to join in halfway through the season 32 . In season one the mythological season long narrative centers on the question: who killed Lilly Kane, Veronica’s best friend. With several extra mysteries that span almost the whole season, like “Why did Duncan break up with Veronica?” and “Who raped Veronica?”. In the second season the mythological mystery is: who sabotaged the school bus so it crashes in episode 2.01. With the extra mythological mystery of who framed Logan for the murder on PCH-er Felix. But in season 3 Rob Thomas was forced to make a season with shorter mythological narrative arcs .

Soap opera characteristics and tactics in VERONICA MARS

Narrative subjects 1 Narratives focusing on personal issues? Or on a certain occupation?

The series VERONICA MARS seemingly has Veronica’s occupation, being a private

detective, as a main theme. But Veronica is also a high school student; VERONICA

MARS is as much a coming of age high school drama. The Mysteries of the Week are tied to these both themes, and we follow Veronica as she solves crimes by

31 VERONICA MARS . Episode 3.12: There’s Got To Be A Morning After Pill, 6 February 2007 32 Goldman, Eric. "Veronica Mars Season 3: and Rob Thomas Talk". IGN . Posted: 18 July 2006. http://uk.tv.ign.com/articles/719/719359p1.html 103 grilling her classmates and their parents, as well as at home with her dad, who’s the real private detective. So the series is a combination of the character serialization and the moonlighting private eye occupation.

2 Narratives about a few characters instead of a whole community.

Like with HOUSE MD this series carries the name of the main character. The series is about Veronica, her family, her (boy)friends and her enemies. It’s about her personal and professional life. And when the series runs longer, her friends and family get more rounded characters due to them being the stars in the B-stories.

3 The main character is indispensable, not dispensable .

The main character obviously is Veronica Mars. As with HOUSE MD, if Veronica were to die, the series would end. Though her father and the friends that don’t regress to friends she used to know, are also permanent fixtures. The series is notorious for its high death count; even complete sites are dedicated to it 33 . Veronica’s mother vanishes from the series stealing money from her husband and child. A bus full of high school students died in the bus crash. Meg, a former friend of Veronica, was the only survivor, only is in a coma. Later on she dies from a blood clot travelling to her brain. The series survive these deaths. Though halfway season three, where the network executives pressured the makers of

VERONICA MARS to use shorter episode spanning narratives, the characters seemingly drop like flies. Keith’s motivation to investigate the death of non- sympathetic dean O’Dell has to be defended by a narrative trick: just before he died he wrote an amazingly good recommendation for Veronica. The death of Wallace’s basketball coach can’t grip our attention. The short time span in which these two murder mysteries occur isn’t credible anymore. Only when Veronica herself is wronged via the circulation of a make-out tape at the end of season three, I really rooted for her to get to the bottom of this particular mystery. The characters other then Veronica are dispensable, but not in too large numbers.

4 Excessive narratives . The pilot episode is a prime example of the rapid succession of extreme narratives. Alcoholism, abandonment by a parent, drugs, rape and murder a few of

the themes of the narratives of VERONICA MARS , these are heavy subjects for a

33 “Neptune graveyard” (Part of: Mars investigations, The (in)complete guide to VERONICA MARS > characters), posted 2005-2007, http://www.marsinvestigations.net/graveyard.php . 104 series about a high school teenager. This makes the loss of status and friends seemingly unimportant. It is obvious that also the Mysteries of the Week narratives are extreme, probably more extreme than a regular private detective would encounter in his

working life. The fact that in VERONICA MARS the narratives of the mysteries of the week are coupled with episode spanning narratives means that a higher percentage of extreme narratives is needed. Alongside the mysteries, the personal life of Veronica also displays excessive narratives. During season 1 Veronica has a staggering amount of 3 boyfriends and there is the mention of an ex. Duncan broke up with her, because there is a possibility they are half-brother and sister, as his dad and her mom, high school sweethearts, had an affair around the time of Veronica’s conception. In season 2 Veronica gets back together with two of her exes. When Logan declares his love and his believe in their epic romance in episode 2.20 Look Who’s Stalking 34 , Veronica wonders off to think. The next morning she comes back to find out he choose to have sex with a floozy instead of wallowing in self-pity. But after Logan saves her life they get back together at the end of season two. In season 3 she breaks up with Logan twice, before she hooks up with new character Piz. Veronica is not the only character in the series that leads a crazy life: Wallace has a man claiming he is Wallace’s father, while Wallace thought the deceased mister Fenell was his biological dad. Wallace’s girlfriend in season 2 lies to him about being a teen mother. Mac and obnoxious classmate Madeline where accidentally swapped at birth, knowledge their parents didn’t share with them. Mac also dates Cassidy Casablancas, who turns out to be a victim of child abuse and a murderer.

Narrative structures 5 Formulaic narratives of procedurals instead of interweaving stories.

Every episode of VERONICA MARS has a rounded narrative, the mystery of the week . These are intertwined with B-stories concerning Veronica’s friends and family, and the episode spanning mysteries. Most of the character serialization narratives are introduced in connection to a mystery. But not with all narratives the connection to a mystery is immediately clear. Like the narrative of Wallace and Logan participating in prisoner/guard role-playing experiment Sociology class

34 VERONICA MARS . Episode 2.20: Look Who’s Stalking, 25 April 2006. 105 in episode 3.02 My Big Fat Rush Week. Only in episode 3.09 Spit & Eggs we get to know why this experiment is shown. A photo explains how the unlikely couple of two coconspirator rapists found each other: they got to know each other during this experiment the year before, laying the basis of their dominant-subordinate relationship. But the interweaving is different from that of soap opera series because it interweaves with rounded narratives ending within one episode.

6 NOT every storyline runs over several episodes .

In VERONICA MARS episodes, there always are one or several narratives that end within one episode. Among those is the off course the mystery of the week. This is unlike the narrative structure of soap opera operas, where all stories run over several episodes.

7 Open narrative .

The mystery of the season causes a lot of the open endings in VERONICA MARS , juxtaposed by the mysteries of the week that usually have open and shut endings. Those narratives get some closure at the end of the season though. The lack of continuance is filled by presenting crises in Veronica’s life on the character serialization level, that leave the viewer wondering what will happen next. So

unlike with soap opera operas, VERONICA MARS has closed as well as open narratives. The open ended narratives are mostly the Mysteries of the Season. They conclude at the end of the season, but narratives of soap opera operas can conclude as well, only the conclusion of different story lines is more spread out.

8 The Cliffhanger. As the mystery of the week, these narratives won’t end the episode with a

cliffhanger. As with HOUSE MD, these Mysteries of the Week only are responsible for cliffhangers before commercial breaks. Season 1 is ended with a cliffhanger though, where the viewer wonders what will happen next: who is at Veronica’s door in the middle of the night? Season 2 ends in the same manner: Veronica, at the airport ready for her trip with her dad is stood up. The viewer is left with the questions: will she go back for her dad, or will she go by herself? Will she be mad at him? Interestingly, the season starting episodes don’t pick up the narrative moments after this cliffhanger (like soap opera operas usually do) but picks up the

106 narrative weeks later in Veronica’s life, as if no crises ever existed, only to address the issue later on in the same episode.

9 Moment of temporary resolution. When the mystery of the season 35 is resolved, seemingly all is well. But when the series continues it needs a new mythological mystery, so the happy ending is actually sort of a temporary resolution. Though not in the way that the solved narrative is torn apart again, like how in soap opera operas a marriage is not the

beginning of a long trouble-free life. In the case of VERONICA MARS a new (almost) unrelated big mystery must be presented. Like Logan being framed for murder and the bus crash at the beginning of the second season. These mysteries are the opening mysteries with which episode 2.01 Normal Is the Watchword ends. When Veronica (re)unites with one of her boyfriends this never indicates a happy ending, just a moment of temporary resolution. Her last romance with Piz seems to lack the passion she had with Duncan or Logan. Veronica trusts him though; she defends her belief in Piz’s honest character to Logan, who accuses Piz of making the sex tape. The series ending narrative shows Veronica making amends with her father as she is the reason he probably won’t be re-elected as the town’s sheriff. There is neither an indication that she did or didn’t find her true love in Piz 36 .

The organization of time 10 Frequency of more than once a week.

That is not the case, only in reruns. New episodes of VERONICA MARS are broadcasted once a week.

11 ‘Chronicled growth’ and ‘unrecorded existence’. The series is the chronicled growth of the character Veronica Mars. The diegetic (meaning the fictional world of the series) timeframe is the same as the real world timeframe.

35 As became clear in Chapter 2 of this essay, the third season of VERONICA MARS didn’t use narratives to span a whole season anymore. But when starting season three that’s what the makers intended for the Hearst Rapist narrative. Still these different narratives that followed spanned several episodes. For the sake of some simplicity, I will use the term mystery of the season, loosely, also describing these smaller narratives of season three. 36 A theory that the Veronica Mars does the FBI pilot corroborates, there she ponders on getting together and breaking up with another love interest. 107 We see unrecorded existence when Veronica has experienced her summer without the viewer watching. Only with recaps we are made privy of parts of what happened in the mean time.

12 Lack of narrative progress. In spirit of her character, Veronica’s love life evolves quickly. She’s a doer, a go- getter. Although we find her dwelling on her lost love with Duncan in the pilot episode, she took up the habit of coping with the hurt by focusing on her moonlighting detective jobs instead of sulking for very long. Also, the love life of a teenager typically moves faster, and for Veronica it’s no different. This outsider Veronica hooks up with three different guys in the first season and flips between exes in the second season. The love between her and Logan, in episode 2.20: Look Who’s Stalking described by him as ‘epic’ falls apart because he can’t stand her recklessness regarding her own life while on the case of the Hearst Rapist. Veronica hooks up with another guy ‘Piz’. Logan and his new girl break up because she thinks Logan is still in love with Veronica. Not a strange assumption as he still beats up her enemies, whether Veronica wants him to or not.

The lack of narrative development of VERONICA MARS is found in the department of the narrative that ties the season together. Veronica uncovers only little, if any, clues about the main Mysteries per episode. And does her character evolve? She seems to get better and quicker in rebounding from personal losses, but holds on to her tough exterior. She even regresses to her revenge plots at the end of season three.

13 Redundancy in narrative .

VERONICA MARS is a very fast-paced series. Go to the toilet while the series is on and you can miss vital clues for the mystery of the week or even the mystery of the season. There is not a lot of redundancy. Only when Veronica unveils vital personal information to her father or her friends, the series can seem a little redundant. Like when in 3.09 Spit and Eggs, Veronica discloses to her father and closest friends that she and Logan broke up, immediately followed with an “I’m fine”. Only when she’s alone in the shower she allows herself to cry. So like Dr. House in the beginning of the series, Veronica shows her friends only the tough version of herself.

108 Sometimes she is genuinely tough, meaning no dwelling on the emotional impact of statements at all. Veronica’s voice quivers when she tells her mother to leave, but no time is wasted on wallowing in that hard decision or to divulge this news to her friends or her father. Instead Veronica dreams of saying goodbye to her murdered friend Lily. Then the narrative quickly moves on to presenting the cliffhanger on the character serialization level of who’s at Veronica’s door. Again only in Veronica’s dreams she shows her emotions, not while talking about it with a friend. It is a rare occasion when she shows what emotional stuff keeps her mind racing, when she finally tells Wallace about the murder of Lily and Veronica’s rape in Episode 1.21: A Trip to the Dentist. But instead of living through the whole experience again, we fast-forward through it with a jump cut to Veronica wiping away her tears and saying: “This is so not an "I told you so," but do you see why I kinda keep things to myself?”

14 Repetition in recaps.

A complicated series like VERONICA MARS that picks up in the middle of uncovering a murder mystery needs a recap showing “previously on”.

15 Characters have histories and memories. Do they? Almost the entire pilot episode is spent on flash backs of the year before, when Veronica and Duncan broke up, Lily got killed and Veronica got raped. The same goes for episode 2.01 where a lot of what happened that summer is shown in retrospect. Wallace comes into the series with the death of his father fresh in his memory (later it turns out this is his stepfather, not his biological dad).

16 Sense of a future / continuity .

Every season the makers of VERONICA MARS hoped the series would be picked up again. The uncertain future of the series is reflected in the narrative of the last official episode, episode 3.20 The Bitch Is Back. The narrative ends with Veronica backing off on her revenge plot because the person who posted a video of her and Piz making out is connected with ruthless mobsters. Logan goes on being reckless with his own life, the same attitude for which he broke up with Veronica, by bashing up a guy who’s highly connected with sinister men who aren’t afraid to commit murder. One of the steps of Veronica’s not on the up-and-up revenge plan, breaking in to the mansion of old nemesis Jake

109 Kane was recorded by the neighbor’s security system. The very last shot of the episode shows Veronica coming out of a booth after voting for the re-election of her father as town sheriff, though the correct rumor that Keith destroyed evidence of his daughter’s indiscretion will probably botch his chances. In the last sequence, instead of Keith being mad at Veronica, we see he used his extra spare time on making an elaborate meal. In return Veronica tells him she loves him. As before we’d suspect that Veronica and her dad will overcome another bad break, they will fight back in their usual tough manner, to get on top again 37 .

37 That the makers of the series were inspired with the same attitude is attested by their voluntarily making half a pilot of “Veronica goes FBI”. 110 3. Comparing the use of soap characteristics

in HOUSE MD and VERONICA MARS

The differences with soap operas

For both the series HOUSE MD and VERONICA MARS applies that the narratives obviously focus on the respective title characters. Though along the way more and more characters are introduced and even have independent story lines. Still neither of the series conveys the amount of regular characters of a whole community or family with up to 40 characters, like soaps do. For both series also applies that the main narratives spur from the occupation of the lead character.

Unlike soap operas, both VERONICA MARS and HOUSE MD are only shown once a week . Both series have rounded narratives, which end within the episode, that interweave with longer personal narratives. So in both series not every storyline runs over several episodes . For both series these short stories mainly

concern the (medical) mysteries of the week. VERONICA MARS off course has the added bonus of the mystery of the season. Unlike most soap operas, in both series the narratives centre on the

occupation of the main character , on the procedural level. In VERONICA MARS Veronica also uses her detective skills in the plot serialization level: the mysteries of the season. Although the narratives centre on the occupation, the character serialization narrative about the life of the lead character is also a big theme in both series. This character serialization level could be easily overlooked in the regular episodes not beginning or ending a season, because of both their focus on procedural narratives. Still, it’s little bits and pieces of insight we get from watching the characters week after week that tie the episodes together and make for a more layered understanding of the narratives. The importance of the character serialization level becomes especially apparent when looking at season beginning and season ending episodes. The importance of the serialization level narratives make the series much more like soap operas then a solely procedural series would.

111

The similarities with soap operas

Like soaps, both series exhibit an unrecorded existence of the characters . This becomes especially apparent by looking at the episodes starting the second and later series. We pick up the narrative and are quickly made aware that the characters experienced their own lives during the summer break, but now without the viewer being privy to the important moments.

Like soap operas, and every series nowadays, the characters of both HOUSE

MD and VERONICA MARS have histories and memories : earlier experiences color and influence the current decisions of the characters. Both series have excessive narratives that get a tad unrealistic when thinking of how much drama can unfold in one person’s life and in one hospital / town. Both series interweave stories, the procedural with the character serialization narratives. With Veronica Mars there is the added bonus of the mysteries of the season.

Shared soap characteristics that apply to a certain degree

Neither of the main characters are dispensable . But it must be said that other characters can (and do) die, or get written out of the series, after which both series survive the casualty. Most of the characters that die or get written off the show are not from the inner circle of the main character, but some are. Lily’s death which triggered Veronica’s and Keith’s downward spiral, and Duncan fleeing America to protect his illegal child from the abusive grandparents. In HOUSE MD House’s team is fired, to dismay of the fans 1, but stay on the show. However when Amber died, she was already fired from House’s service, but was brought back as a regular as Wilson’s girlfriend. Kutner, one of the new regulars working on House’s team, commits suicide during season 5 without giving the viewer or the other characters any warning signs. This also means that if the lead character would either experience a happy or tragic ending, the series would be done and thus an ending to the series would be imaginable.

1 McNamara, Mary, “Medical dramas heal themselves”, 2008. 112

During season 1 the series VERONICA MARS seemingly might end when the main mysteries of the season are solved 2. But we see that the series doesn’t end and more mysteries are introduced. After the first season both series exhibit qualities of the serial, that would suggest a sense of a future and continuity . Furthermore, the nature of the two main characters indicate that they will never seize to be nosy and or seize to be motivated to solve more mysteries. Returning the attention to the mystery of the season, Veronica’s voice-over often ends the regular episodes pondering what her next move will be. So she refers to a sense of future . Like soaps, ending the season with a cliffhanger , there is the referral to the immediate future: “What will happen next?” HOUSE MD ends seasons with opening mysteries, referring to a less immediate but nevertheless future conflict.

Where the series differ in their sharing of soap characteristics

The solely procedural nature of HOUSE MD makes that the leader is not necessary to understand the stand alone episodes. Although regular viewers pick up on more inside jokes and the several layers in the narrative, which could partly be understood when given a leader. VERONICA MARS is a complicated series that is hard to follow even for regular viewers. An introduction of earlier narratives is essential to inform viewer that tune in to be able to understand what follows. Even with a leader , the new viewer would probably not be able to follow the significance of every scene or every dialogue.

2 Other series that focus on the resolution of a certain mystery can be confined to one season. Like the series DAY BREAK and FLASH FORWARD did. But at the end of DAY BREAK the possibility of another season is presented through (re)introducing a character that has a similar problem as the main character had: being stuck experiencing the same day over and over. In FLASH FORWARD only half of the problems is solved, and the same event that was the start of conflict in the pilot episode occurs again: all people of the world blacking out at the same time and seeing a glimpse of the future. Also, one should take into account that DAY BREAK was already cancelled due to rapidly declining ratings. After 6 episodes the network announced that the remaining episodes wouldn’t be aired, only broadcasted on the internet. FLASH FORWARD was cancelled although the series rated #44 in viewer ratings. The series “24” also focuses on problems being solved during one season, but managed to run over a stunning amount of 8 seasons. So no singular statement can be made in regard to the lifespan of series with a focus on narratives that conclude within one season. DAY BREAK , Paul Zbyszewski (creator) ABC, 2006 – 2007 FLASH FORWARD , Brannon Braga (creator), ABC, 2009-2010. 113

Though HOUSE MD and VERONICA MARS, like soap operas, convey an unrecorded existence, both series differ in how they address these periods. In

HOUSE MD these gaps are addressed by chalking the lack of progress in the narrative up to House’s tendency to ignore his problems, where VERONICA MARS uses it as a device to mislead the viewer about her seemingly untroubled life, to quickly reintroduce the drama through numeral flash backs. Both series have excessive narratives, but Veronica Mars displays a much more rapid succession of narratives than House MD, when looking at narratives on a character serialization level. This corresponds with the difference in the characteristics of the two characters. Veronica is in the fast changing period in her life called high school. Veronica is a girl who won’t wait until someone guesses what she wants or asks her out, she’ll just go for it 3. Dr House is an older man who tends to ignore his own problems and instead starts to irritatingly interfere with the personal lives of others. House tends to keep himself from getting happy by his fear of getting hurt and his problem to really connect. Usually he uses sarcasm to deflect from talking about his true feelings, which doesn’t do his love life any good. Though the excessive narratives follow each other in a rapid succession, still both series show a lack of progress in some of their narratives. Where HOUSE MD uses the slowly evolving character development of Dr House as the honey that attracts regular viewers, VERONICA MARS also makes use of the mysteries of the season for the same purpose 4. This difference makes that the lack of narrative progress is more apparent in House’s character serialization narratives. In

VERONICA MARS the lack of narrative progress is more apparent when looking at the Mysteries of the Season. This also could partly explain why House needs a slow pace in his love life, where Veronica speeds through one relationship after the other. In both series redundancy in narrative occurs after commercial breaks, to reintroduce the (dire nature of) the situation. In HOUSE MD more then with

VERONICA MARS there is more redundancy in the narrative when someone breaks tells news on a character serialization level to different characters. This difference

3 Veronica wants to move ahead, take action. But while doing so she tends to ignore her own hurt, often resulting in dead people haunting her dreams. Like Lily in season 1 and the bus crash kids in season 2. 4 Though the lack of development in certain narratives aren’t the only device of the writers to invite the viewers to watch again. Amongst other strategies, the tough but likable characters with sarcastic wit also make the series fun to watch. 114 in redundancy sprouts from HOUSE MD relying on the personal serialization narratives and VERONICA MARS on the personal but also on the plot serialization narratives to tie the episodes together. Because of the plot serialization in

VERONICA MARS , next to using a leader, the mention of earlier found clues still is necessary for the viewer to follow the story. As House MD uses lesser narratives on the plot serialization level, there automatically is lesser need to redundantly mention earlier occurrences on this level.

Both series have a sense of future and continuity ; both series could hypothetically last an unending amount of seasons as the natures of the lead characters would always make them seek out another mystery to solve. But they differ in how much and how they refer to the future. HOUSE MD, because of its procedural nature, seems to refer less to the future. At the end of most of the episodes we see Dr House at home, playing instruments or wallowing, thinking about what happened that episode. That seems to only reflect on the here and now of the world of Dr House. But it also shows that Dr House has more of a conscience than he will show his friend Wilson and his other colleagues, signaling, that we might see more of his emotions in the future. At the end of a season there is no cliffhanger , but a promise of future conflict and thus of a promise of a future , though not the immediate future. VERONICA MARS also starts new narratives at the ending of a season. The difference is that VERONICA MARS uses opening mysteries instead of simple introductions, thus making you wonder about the immediate future.

Though VERONICA MARS does use opening mysteries to end other episodes in the season (among others this applies to the season starting episodes). Both series however do make use of (life-threatening cliffhangers before commercial breaks, in the middle of the episode.

115

4. Using the Ruven & Batavier story step schedule to analyze series.

Where soap characteristics clash with the Ruven & Batavier story step schedule.

Narrative subjects 1 Narratives focusing on the occupation or the personal? One of the main misconceptions is that Hollywood films mainly focus on love stories and happy endings. But most of the time the love story is the B-story, overshadowed by an adventure, horror, western or other genre narrative. Except in romantic comedies and romantic drama’s. The same applies to most non-soap series: the main narrative is of another genre and the romance plays second fiddle.

With VERONICA MARS the genre narratives concern mystery of the week, with

HOUSE MD this means the medical mystery of the week. But whether or not the personal narrative, the love story is the A- or B-story, that doesn’t affect the usefulness of the Ruven & Batavier story step schedule.

2 Narratives about a whole community. Hollywood movies, except for mosaic narratives movies, are generally about one main character or a select few main characters with a B-story reserved for the best friend. Series, because of their long run, do have main characters, but other characters get a lot of character serialization narratives as well, making them rounded characters, like the main character. In the schedule included on the DVD where I use the story steps, I therefore regularly changed “the lead character” to “the Character”.

3 Individual characters are dispensable In Hollywood movies characters can die, but the main character can only die halfway the movie when we follow the adventures they have in their afterlife. With series, the same applies to the main character(s). In soaps characters are dispensable. In the here analyzed series the main character can’t die without the series stopping as well, but this doesn’t affect the usefulness of the Batavier & Ruven story step schedule. When a character dies, their narrative ends. It just not

116 ends happily. For other characters the death might pose a new problem or a chance to spur into action.

With HOUSE MD House’s near-death experience in episode 4.16 Wilson’s Heart makes him finally voice that he knows he is living a second choice life. And the death of the characters Amber and Kutner also entail starting new narratives and complicating old ones. Like Chase asking Cameron to marry him. In

VERONICA MARS the ramifications of a death even spurs almost all the narratives of the first season: the first episode explains how the death and murder investigation of her best friend caused Veronica and her dad to be left by Veronica’s mom and become the outcasts of their society.

4 Excessive narratives. In Hollywood movies the most insane and ridiculous plan follows after the other to make the two hours we spend watching the movie worth it. In series and soaps the most extreme and life threatening experiences concern a select group of characters, to make the hours we spend watching the series worth it. But although the narratives or plans are excessive, that doesn’t change the effectiveness of the Ruven & Batavier Schedule.

Narrative structures 5 Interweaving / intercutting of stories The interweaving of several storylines is already indicated by Ruven en Batavier in their schedule, as they separate the genre specific and the romantic narrative line. They also mention in their book that friends or colleagues of the main character often experience a B-story that underlines or contradicts the A-story of the main character. When you combine these facts with the first parts of the wow- method, you can break up the narrative into more then two different storylines (like I did for this analysis see the DVD). This way the interweaving of narratives becomes visible. Whether the interweaving narratives run over several episodes 6 (every storyline runs over several episodes) or if they don’t run over several episodes isn’t an issue: both kinds can be analyzed when combining the wow-method with the Ruven & Batavier Schedule.

117 7 Open narratives. Open narratives are easily indicated with the Ruven & Batavier Schedule. The last scenes of an episode then consist of an opening mystery or another story step, instead of the last story step: a (happy) ending.

8 The Cliffhanger. Hollywood movies have no interceding commercials when shown in the movie theatre, at the utmost one intermission enables viewers to go the bathroom and buy more sodas and candy. In theory, movies wouldn’t need cliffhangers to keep the audience “tuning in again after the break”, only using cliffhangers at the end as a tool to keep the audience uneasy and wondering after leaving the cinema, or when a sequel is planned 1. But filmmakers do want to keep the viewers entertained during the whole film. People who leave the theatre unsatisfied results in theatres having to refund tickets and bad press leading to lower revenues. The narrative can’t be boring, it needs to contain tension, or action. To be able to portray tension / action, every scene needs a small crisis. According to the wow- method every scene is constructed that way:

A: Something causes a problem. B: The main character has to decide what to do. C: The main character makes a decision and acts on it. 2

The wow-method is useful, but falls short in painting a complete picture again. Besides resulting in a climax which forms a new problem, leading to necessary action of the lead character, a scene may also end with a resolution and repercussions of the resolution. Every scene has its own little cycle, it’s own beginning introduction, middle and climax 3. To heighten the tension within the viewers, a scene might be intercut with another storyline before the main character makes a decision and acts on it, thus creating a cliffhanger in the middle of the scene. Series can use cliffhangers this way, as well as preceding commercial breaks and at the end of episodes.

1 With movies being shown on television after their run in the movie theatres, it results in movies being intercut with commercials anyway. 2 Oud, Gerd-Jan, Narrative and culture, The WOW method , Nijmegen, 1997, p. 12. 3 Egri, Lajos, The Art of Dramatic Writing. It’s basis in the creative interpretation of human motives, New York, 2004, p. 230. 118 The Cliffhanger isn’t literally in the story steps, but for instance story step 5.IV and 6.I indicate a lull in the narrative:

5.IV The lead has an epiphany about how to do so: plan 3. 6.I The lead starts plan 3, determined after his re-evaluation to live his First Choice Life.

Still nothing that resembles a life-threatening cliffhanger is indicated in the Ruven & Batavier story step schedule ; it is a tool of analyzing I added to analyze the series in this thesis. The Ruven & Batavier Schedule doesn’t clash with the cliffhanger, but it doesn’t efficiently bring it to light.

9 Moments of temporary resolution. The wow-method doesn’t provide a place to name the moments of temporary resolution, that would be an extra story step next to Ruven’s and Batavier’s “story step 8.I : plan 5 succeeds: happy ending”. It would be an extra option in the last story step, next to the happy ending story step. The happy ending must remain as a story step as well, as series contain narratives that end. For example the mystery of the week are closed narratives with happy endings.

The organization of time. 10 Frequency of more then once a week. How much time passes between two episodes doesn’t affect the narratives or the analysis using the Ruven & Batavier Schedule.

11 ‘Unchronicled growth’ and ‘unrecorded existence’ The story steps necessary to understand the unchronicled growth and unrecorded existence are revealed in dialogue and thus can still be analyzed with the Ruven & Batavier Schedule, it doesn’t clash.

12 Lack of narrative progress. The Ruven & Batavier system can indicate accurately when the same story step is used more then once in a certain narrative. The schedule does have story steps to indicate indecisiveness:

119 STORY STEP 2. Deliberation I The lead character examines pro’s and con’s. II The problem gets, bigger, more dangerous and more forceful. III The lead character gets in a Lock with the problem. IV A dilemma is the result; two even choices between which the lead cannot choose. STORY STEP 5. Re-evaluation I The lead re-evaluates with ‘best friends’ in ‘safe environments’ his mistakes and his former believe in his second choice life.

And the schedule reserves a lot of room for the character to not change his or her lifestyle:

STORY STEP 3. plan 1 II The lead holds on to his second choice life. STORY STEP 4. plan 2 II The lead holds on to his second choice life STORY STEP 6. plan 3 leads to rock bottom II Halfway the lead chickens out, and thus doesn’t choose his first choice life.

Because of the quick pace of Hollywood narratives, the Ruven & Batavier schedule doesn’t indicate the neglecting of the problem. After being confronted with the problem, the Character immediately goes in deliberation in story step 2 and at the end of the story step chooses to:

2.V […] voluntarily solve the problem. His active goal has a measurable ending which is either winning, stopping, fleeing, saving, or retrieving.

Though even when the schedule enables to still remain in the second choice life, the ‘actively deciding to voluntarily solve the problem’ is not always the case with series, or is it? Series thrive on hinting at problems and them being denied by the characters. As Wilson says in episode 6.09 “A problem delayed is a problem denied.”4. And it works both ways a problem denied is only delaying a problem: it will pop up eventually and backfire.

13 Redundancy in narrative The given example of the same occurrence being retold to different characters can be examined by the Ruven & Batavier system. Every different character that hears the news reacts differently. And each character is told the news for different

4 HOUSE MD. Episode 6.09: Wilson, David Shore (creator), Fox, 30 November 2009 120 reasons. Each telling of the news can fall under a different story line and a different story step.

14 Repetition in recaps The Ruven & Batavier Schedule exposes the repetitions that are shown in the recap. But the recaps only serves to introduce the current episode, it isn’t a repetition in the narrative.

15 Characters have histories and memories. With the Ruven & Batavier system you can give flashbacks and dialogue about the past story steps that precede the ones of the current narrative. Or a new narrative line can be created. Though the past narrative lines always influence or reflect on the current narrative lines, otherwise they wouldn’t be mentioned. So the Ruven & Batavier system doesn’t clash with the soap characteristics.

16 Sense of a future / continuity . This is easily indicated by the Ruven & Batavier system. Every episode, season ending or not, that leaves the audience with an opening mystery scene or otherwise unattended narratives, indicates future predicaments. The episode 6.24

Remember me as Time of Day from ONE TREE HILL , wrapped up all the narratives in happy endings, to rip some of them apart again in episode 7.01 5. Although it was already clear that another season would follow.

The lacks of the Ruven & Batavier story step schedule when using it to analyze series

Character establishing scenes instead of character introduction scenes. The Ruven & Batavier analysis method lacks precision when used to analyze series. In a Hollywood movie the character get’s introduced at the beginning of the movie. Further revealing scenes about the distinguishing features of the character are only combined with other narrative steps, moving along the narrative of the movie as it must be concluded within a few hours. In series character describing scenes are interludes in the mystery of the week narratives, used as glue for faithful viewers. Besides creating lulls in the

5 ONE TREE HILL , Mark Schwahn (creator), The CW, 2003-present/ ONE TREE HILL , Episode 6.24: Remember me as a Time of Day, 18 May 2009 ONE TREE HILL , Episode7.01: 4:30 AM (Apparently They Were Travelling Abroad), 14 September 2009 121 mystery of the week narrative, gifted writers obviously interject all conversation with hints to the character traits of the characters. Returning viewers are ‘rewarded’ with bits and pieces of personal information of the characters on the character serialization level. This way the viewer gets a feeling of familiarity with the characters. Just like in real life when you meet people. First you only get the superficial introduction. For example; this is Bob, male, in his late forties, father of two, average looking, works for an insurance company. It’s only when you see him more often you find out that he has a soft spot for insurance applicants that are young fathers. And that he hates the sound of the Xerox machine. But after the first introductions in the pilot these character-sketching-scenes can’t be categorized as ‘introducing the character in his second choice life’. Instead the scenes work as consolidating, giving nuance, or establishing the character in his second choice life. Though please beware that with the start of a new season the characters often get a more elaborate reintroduction. This is done in the hope of attracting new viewers, now new narratives are started.

Introduction of the dilemma and opinion of the week In a series episode other than the pilot, extended introductions aren’t needed anymore. Still every episode contains introductions regarding the main characters; an introduction of their personal opinion on the dilemma of the week, thus giving away another piece on the character serialization level.

Take for example HOUSE MD Episode 2.01: Acceptance. Having to diagnose a man who is scheduled for receiving the death penalty stirs up different discussions for different characters. What do they think about the death penalty 6? For Foreman the case also brings up the question whether the man deserves leniency for his upbringing in a troubled neighborhood, a disadvantage Foreman has overcome. Stacy immediately helps House with getting the prisoner help (probably because she is impressed with House’s involvement with the case). But she regrets it when it turns out House used her willingness to help him, to anger Cuddy, as Cuddy doesn’t deem him worthy of shutting down a level of the hospital. Through the introduction of the case, the characters introduce and

6 Dr. House, according to his actions, thinks everybody deserves a human treatment and medical attention. Foreman and Cameron debate whether or not House and his team treating the patient is a waste of time. Cameron, though being against the death penalty, thinks it more helpful to try and save a good but lonely person she has as a patient. Chase, though against the death penalty in principle, doesn’t even think it’s worth to discuss when the discussion could get him in trouble with his superior Dr House. 122 reexamine their look on a new subject while the viewers get to know the characters a little bit better. To be able to use these eight story steps for the analysis of series again, I’d consider making an appending schedule for the narratives after episode one. As explained above, Step 1.Ib would be renamed “ establishing the character in his second choice life”. And I would add Step 1.Ic Introduction of the opinion of character on dilemma of the week.

Number of plans diverge. The authors Paul Ruven and Marian Batavier admit that the number of plans (there are 5 plans in their 8 story steps) isn’t really as fixed as the steps might suggest. Not even the highly formulaic Hollywood narratives always follow the 5 plans scenario. In an episode of a series the 5 plan structure can be used to analyze the mystery of the week and the B-stories, though often reduced to a 4, 3 or less plans structure. But the main characters return every week and the characters, like real people are stubborn: the same problem might be addressed from several episodes till the whole series. The 5 plan structure is harder to sustain over narratives that span several episodes. House has a whole set of problems which continually are addressed throughout the series. The more the series evolves the more his need to finally ‘be happy’ comes to the surface. At the end of season 5 House finally not only realizes he wants to be happier. This big realization is anticipated from the first episode, but it takes 5 whole seasons and much more than 5 plans to get there. Taking drugs, dating Cameron & Stacy, trying invasive surgery for reducing the pain in his leg, torturing applicants for his new diagnostic team, reconnecting with Wilson, these are all examples of House’s plans to get happier. This repeating of plan after plan looks more like the wow-schedule for analyzing narratives, the schedule I discarded because of its lack of nuance and sub steps.

A: Something causes a problem. B: The main character has to decide what to do. C: The main character takes a decision and acts on it. 7

7 Oud, Gerd-Jan, Narrative and culture, The WOW method , Nijmegen, 1997, p. 12. 123 Ignoring the problem Ignoring the problem is a very small segment of the Ruven & Batavier story steps, the ignoring of the problem isn’t even vocalized. During story step 2, Deliberation, having to choose a side of his dilemma is put off. As soon as the character of a Hollywood narrative is confronted with the problem in story step 1.III, the character is conscious of his problem and by the problem getting bigger in story step 2.II the character realizes a choice has to be made. In series we see a lot of repetitions of the character being confronted with the problem, but shrugging it off. The problem is not only ignored, the problem is denied the existence of being a problem. The character is nowhere near realizing a choice has to be made. As the whole of the narrative is stretched out over a longer period of time, it is logical that it also takes longer for a problem to become so big that it can’t be ignored. In between the Hollywood story steps 1, Introduction and 2, Deliberation, there is need of a whole story step with denying the problem and after acknowledging the problem steps that show the character evading and ignoring the problem

Smaller leaps forward and more relapses The Ruven & Batavier story step schedule can still be used for analyzing the ongoing narratives of the character serialization level, as long as the user of the schedule bears in mind the repetitious nature and has eye for the variations. Like ignoring the problem, relapses are already imbedded in the Ruven & Batavier story step system, when the characters try plan 2, 3 and 4, but fail in achieving to reach their first choice life. The difference with Hollywood narratives, when the lead character of a series realizes what he’s living a second choice life, it won’t get him to achieve reaching his first choice life within a few hours. Even when a character manages to change his behavior, he will experience relapses to his standard pattern 8. For instance when Dr. House is still pushing the buttons of his colleagues in episode 6.4 Instant Karma 9 although acknowledging he should change his behavior at the beginning of season 6. Or like Veronica

8 Other series then analyzed for this thesis, have similar examples of characters that seem to have changed their bad behavior but experience relapses. Like THE OC’s character diamond-in-the- rough character Ryan struggling to adept to his new environment, trying not to fall back to using violence to solve his problems. 9 HOUSE MD Episode 3.04: Instant Karma, David Shore, (creator), Fox, 12 October 2009. 124 deciding to readopt her ‘don’t get sad, get even’ policy in episode 3.20 The Bitch Is Back. Or, when a plan of changing ones behavior seems to work, it might only work temporarily. As the Ruven & Batavier story step schedule indicates with story step 7.I plan 4 succeeds… Almost. Furthermore, the great realizations of series characters are preceded by many smaller moments of epiphany and efforts to become happy, like when House goes on a date with Cameron and asks Wilson for advice on whether or not he should bring a corsage. These different smaller realizations cannot simply be classified in repetitions of the same occurrence. It’s the accumulation of variations on the same theme that might lead the character to reconsider his or her life choices. This means that the character serialization narratives of an episode are not likely to end with happy ending, but with a moment of temporary resolution.

When the main character ‘get’s the girl’ he might lose her a few episodes later, just to keep the narrative going. In using this system, losing the girl can indicate story steps 6.I and 6.II.

6.I The lead comes up with plan 3, but is afraid, so he loses the other. 6.II The lead hits rock bottom.

When the lead looses and regains the girl several times during the series it can be noted as a repetition and variation of a story step, so the scholar comes closer to giving a full picture of the narrative structure of ongoing series.

What is needed in story step 8 next to happy endings?

Moments of temporary resolution. The Ruven & Batavier story steps don’t provide a place to name the moments of temporary resolution, as another option instead of a happy ending. It could be presented as:

8.Ib The bold plan seems to work for now. The problem is solved. The lead lives in his first choice life, but there are indications this won’t last forever: a temporary moment of resolution.

125 Tragic endings. Series narratives don’t always entail happy endings. What’s more, even series endings may have tragic endings. Like the love story narrative between Dr. House and Stacy ends after a heated affair in episode 2.11 10 when Stacy hesitates to leave her husband and House consequently pushes her away. Other example can be found in VERONICA MARS : the (non-love story) narrative where Veronica’s mom is asked to leave and consequently takes the settlement payment with her in episode 1.22, or when Keith will probably not be reelected as sheriff for a second time at the end of episode 3.20 11 . You could say these narratives end in story step 6.11 the lead hits rock bottom. You should keep in mind though, that it is the biggest boldest plan that fails, and the narrative stops after the scene. So actually a tragic ending should be a story step that was a combination of 6.II and 8.I:

8.I c Plan 5, the biggest and boldest plan fails. The problem remains, or has gotten bigger. The lead hits rock bottom and remains living in his second choice life.

10 HOUSE MD. Episode 2.11: Need To Know, 7 February 2006. 11 Other series like THE SOPRANOS have tragic endings as well. The series THE SOPRANOS ends with gunshots, not portraying who is shot. But the narrative beforehand leads up to the assassination of the main character. The same goes for the love stories: a happy ending between the lead character and his other isn’t always inevitable, not even when a series ends. Like in THE OC when lead character Ryan and his other, Marissa, remain split up when she decides to leave. Marissa even dies in episode 3.25: The Graduates, 18 May 2006 which of course this is a very tragic ending for her character and for their love affair. Ryan finds a new love interest in Taylor in season 4, and in the last episode it remains unclear if he and Taylor end up together, so no happy ending in this regard either. THE SOPRANOS , David Chase (creator), HBO, 1999-2007. THE OC, Josh Schwartz (creator), 3.25: The Graduates, Fox, 18 May 2006 126 Moniek van der Kallen Cliffhangers versus Happy Endings

CONCLUSION

In this essay I tried to answer the following question:

How do the season finales and season starting episodes of television drama series VERONICA MARS and HOUSE MD address the tension between the urge to resolve and conclude versus their continuing storylines?

I used the Ruven & Batavier story steps and soap opera characteristics to find out what narrative strategies the writers used in the very last scenes of a season ending episode. I used the same story steps and soap opera characteristics to determine if the status was reversed at the beginning of new seasons.

Season endings

During the analysis I first thought that unlike my previous assumption, HOUSE MD did use cliffhangers at the end of season finale episodes. Based on my findings I realized that the endings of the seasons were no cliffhangers, though they were introductions . The episode ended with the introduction of new problems to heighten the curiosity for next season. My assumption that the series

HOUSE MD wouldn’t need cliffhangers because of its emphasis on the procedural narrative level, proved to be only half true. HOUSE MD doesn’t exactly use cliffhangers, but the introduced problems are on the character serialization level. The narratives are put on hold after these introductions of a new problems1. In some cases a new plan is hatched and its execution started but not finished 2 or we see characters ignoring a problem. The problem being unresolved signals a promise of future conflict. This means that though single episodes focus on the unraveling of the medical mystery of the week, the writers of HOUSE MD use the personal problems

1 Season ending episode 1.22 concludes with story step 1.III Introduction of a new problem: Stacy coming to work at the hospital and House being distraught by it. At the end of episode 3.24 a new problem or a new chapter in House’s life is introduced: his team quit and House will have to deal with this change. House’s past behavior indicates he doesn’t like or handles change very well. However the last scene of the episode, depicting House with a new guitar seems to negate this problem a bit. This makes the viewer unsure about whether this new problem will create a huge conflict. Episode 4.16 introduces the problem of trouble in friendship paradise between House and Wilson. 2 Episode 2.24 and 4.24 127 Moniek van der Kallen Cliffhangers versus Happy Endings

(on the character serialization level) of the main characters to keep the viewers curious.

HOUSE MD doesn’t use the soapy cliffhangers; life-threatening and freeze framing after daring statements. The lack of season ending cliffhangers make the series

HOUSE MD seem very different from soap operas. Still the problems that are introduced or hinted at are all on the character serialization level, the narrative level which soap operas focus on.

In HOUSE MD the viewer isn’t left wondering what will happen in the next second of the diegetic timeline. Questions are raised, the audience is anxious to know more, but they are not left sitting on the edge of their seats. It even signals a future that is further along than the future that is alluded to at the end of

VERONICA MARS .

The last episodes of season 1 and season 2 of VERONICA MARS introduce new problems for the next season. Interestingly enough, the writers of VERONICA

MARS choose to end the episodes with a cliffhanger on the character serialization level concerning boyfriends or family, instead of with a cliffhanger or opening mystery concerning the new murder mystery. The mystery introduced in the last scene that won’t keep you guessing the whole next season, as it isn’t on the plot serialization level 3.It does however leave you guessing what will happen next on the personal level: the characterization serialization level.

Does VERONICA MARS use cliffhangers with season ending episodes? Yes, but like HOUSE MD, not in the soapy kind: life-threatening ones. Veronica is in danger during the episodes, not at the end 4. And there are no freeze frames used. But there are scenes cut in half to heighten the suspense. The cliffhangers at season endings of VERONICA MARS refer to the immediate future, more than the introduced problems of HOUSE MD do.

Season 3 takes up a different approach, it being the series finale (against the wish of the makers of the series. Episode 3.20 The Bitch Is Back, does not present an opening mystery or cliffhanger. On the mythology level, the mystery of the last

3 These new plot serialization narratives are introduced a few scenes before the last scene of the episode though. 4 Except for the teaser of season 4, but that is technically half an episode, so the statements still has merit. 128 Moniek van der Kallen Cliffhangers versus Happy Endings two episodes is solved. The open ended narrative about the relationships between Veronica and Logan and the career of her dad, give the season finale a sense of future instead of a sense of closure. Veronica and her dad have a shared future ahead of them. Though not a future in which all is well and they live happily ever after. Another aspect that gives a sense of future is that the writers gave Veronica her fatal flaw back. Being so nosy and bent on resolving mysteries got Veronica in trouble several times before. Therein lays a promise of her getting in trouble again in the future. Actually, none of the main characters seem to have evolved and are more or less back at square one where they started in episode 1.01 the Pilot 5. Maybe if given more time then 3 seasons, the character Veronica Mars would have evolved more instead of rushing to her eye-for-an-eye mentality.

Further investigations might reveal if series that run as long as HOUSE MD use this tactic of simply introducing problems more often opposed to other series who like

VERONICA MARS are more short lived. This would signal that the introduction is a more effective way of keeping viewers curious without annoying them. This might be the case, as the tactic of VERONICA MARS demands more immediate answers, so viewers could easily get frustrated when offering up the answers is delayed by the writers. The only way to gather which further implications the difference of narrative tactics between these two series entails, will be to do more research with more series to compare it with.

Starting up new seasons

In starting new episodes both series refer to the past in their dialogue. VERONICA

MARS uses a recap to refer to the past, HOUSE MD doesn’t. The nature of

VERONICA MARS , the dependence on mysteries, makes the writers trick regular viewers in reintroducing Veronica as a regular high school girl. Then the perspective on the status quo is changed by revealing new facts and explaining them through flashbacks. In HOUSE MD another tactic is used; there has been a lack of narrative progress during the summer break. The character’s inclination to

5 Veronica still bends the rules to find out the truth, Keith still isn’t sheriff and Logan still avenges without regard for the consequences. Veronica’s only developments are solving some mysteries and going from being a loner to having lots of friends and a boyfriend. She hasn’t learned to express her emotions in a healthy ‘talking about it’ way. 129 Moniek van der Kallen Cliffhangers versus Happy Endings ignore his own emotional problems and to focus on his work, solving mysteries, is used to explain this.

In VERONICA MARS the problems introduced last season are either resolved during the whole new season, or within a few weeks. Additional long-running mysteries are introduced in the season starting episodes. In the beginning of season 3 of VERONICA MARS , not only the opening mystery of the last episode is picked up again, also the Hearst Rapist of an earlier episode is brought back (in episode 2.16 The Rapes of Graff Veronica doesn’t solve the case, she only proves another one of her exes wasn’t the perpetrator). Before the new problems are attacked the writers of the series play tricks on the viewers. While starting a new season, the writers of both HOUSE MD and

VERONICA MARS SEEMINGLY HAVE diminished or resolved the problem that was introduced in the last episode of last season. During the episode, the truth is unraveled bit by bit though; problems are

(re)introduced or intensified, but not solved. In VERONICA MARS that means there are new mysteries, new former friends or new problems with hoodlums 6. With 7 HOUSE MD heart aches, old habits or even addictions return .

Happy endings versus continuity

Both series entail closed narratives in the form of procedural mysteries of the week 8. Veronica Mars adds the plot serialization narratives of the mysteries of the

6 In Veronica Mars episode 2.01 new mysteries of who killed the PCH-er and what made the bus crash. Meg and Logan are scorned ex-lovers as well as former friends. In Veronica Mars episode 3.01 The case of Kendall Casablancas turns out not to have been resolved after all. And the Hearst Rapist strikes again, with an attack Veronica could have stopped but didn’t. 7 In House MD episode 2.01 House’s grief for not being with Stacy is introduced. In episode 3.01 House’s leg pain and his addiction to Vicodin have returned, leading him to misuse Wilson’s trust. In episode 4.01 House’s problem with change and authority are reintroduced. In episode 5.01 the problem of Wilson not wanting to be Houses friend anymore is intensified. 8 During the analysis I came to wonder: if both series use procedural narratives, but don’t emphasize them in the season finales, then what is the purpose of the procedural narratives? To be able to answer that question, more research would be needed. My first impression is that the narratives work to: - Introducing the dilemma of the week on which the different characters have different opinions. So the procedural narrative reveals the character traits of the main characters, by spurring discussions about certain issues. - The investigation into the mysteries of the week demonstrate the main characters deduction and detective skills, creating viewer sympathy for the character. - In the case of VERONICA MARS the mystery of the week sometimes also brings to light new evidence about one of the mysteries of the season 8. - Creating life-threatening situations or smaller opening mysteries before commercial breaks 130 Moniek van der Kallen Cliffhangers versus Happy Endings season. VERONICA MARS ’s focus on plot serialization, when solving the main mystery at the end of season 1, could be the end of the series. But the curiosity of both Veronica and Dr House coupled with the endless introductions of new mysteries signal to the future. The season endings of both series emphasize their future, their continuity by introducing new problems. And at the end of the season starting episodes, the reintroduction is another reference to the future. This focus on narratives on a character serialization level means that soap opera related series like THE OC and series set up around mysteries of the week like HOUSE MD and VERONICA MARS are, are more similar then I initially expected them to be.

VERONICA MARS seems to need the cliffhanger more than HOUSE MD. With

HOUSE MD the viewers are accustomed to every episode having one formulaic concluded narrative with each episode. The viewers of VERONICA MARS were accustomed to be rewarded for watching every week by getting a new clue creating new questions about the mystery of the season. So in the last episode of the season a new plot serialization mystery, as well as a character serialization cliffhanger, raise new questions.

Any chance of a happy ending? Is there any chance of a happy ending to conclude the series? As the series finale, episode 3.20 demonstrates, the writers didn’t seem to think so. In the harsh world of VERONICA MARS there is no place for believing in a happy ever after, just a believe in a happy right now. Veronica experiences a few of these moments of temporary resolution and happiness, when with her dad her friends or with one of her lovers.

In HOUSE MD, Dr House is more and more affectively struggling to achieve happiness. More and more the answer seems to lie in House making an effort to romance Cuddy and ‘getting the girl’. At the end of season 6 we seem to witness the happy ending when Cuddy and House find each other. Does this mean a happy ending could mean the end of the series? No. As the series is picked up for another season, this ‘happy ending’ probably will act as a starting point for

- With VERONICA MARS quick thinking or good speculations might grant you the satisfaction of being as smart as Veronica, the medical expertise required in HOUSE MD to be able to solve the medical mystery of the week excludes this sort of satisfaction. The human emotion side is brought into the equation by Houses assumption that every patient is a liar until proven otherwise. It is up to the detective work and psychological insights of Dr. House and his team to be able to solve the case. 131 Moniek van der Kallen Cliffhangers versus Happy Endings another narrative cycle: Dr House will struggle to keep up his good behavior. If he would lose Cuddy, he could fall into his darkest depression yet. So both series only know moments of temporary resolution instead of happy endings, thus have a sense of continuity. The nature of both series, conveying a long and continuous struggle to find happiness, can’t merit a closed happy ending.

For HOUSE MD, VERONICA MARS , and other series, serials and soap operas goes: a problem can seemingly be solved; a happy ending, but like we know conflict has to ensue sooner or later. With or without explicit mention of slumbering problems, the narrative endings are only temporary moments of resolution, no happy endings 9. With introduced problems, it’s never a question whether or not the problem will be addressed; only how soon and how . It is the when and how the characters reach their goals that make it a good or bad story. The excitement of seeing the story told in a surprising new way that makes it enjoyable.

Soap characteristics in VERONICA MARS and HOUSE MD

When you look at the main question the soap characteristics we have to concentrate on the soap characteristics that indicate continuity versus the soap characteristics that would indicate endings.

Unlike soaps the series VERONICA MARS and HOUSE MD are shown once a week, entail narratives that end within one episode, the narratives centre on the lead character instead of a whole community and centre on the occupation of the lead character on the procedural level. These characteristics al refer to the procedural nature of the series, but not necessarily indicate the end of the series.

The same as soap operas, VERONICA MARS and HOUSE MD portray the unrecorded existence of the characters, the characters have histories and memories, and the different stories interweave. These characteristics (in theory) all enforce the serial nature of the series.

There are also soap characteristics that the series only inhabit to a certain degree. The series can survive with a character dying. The main characters can only die with the series surviving when it happens during the introduction of the series. in

9 Except of course, sometimes when the episode is the series ending episode (which soap operas in theory would never have). But as HOUSE MD is still picked up season after season, this has not been the case yet for this series.

132 Moniek van der Kallen Cliffhangers versus Happy Endings any other case, the series would have to end. 10 . This indicates an ending to the series is possible, in case the main character dies. VERONICA MARS ’s focus on plot serialization, when solving the main mystery at the end of season 1, could be the end of the series. But the curiosity of both Veronica and Dr House coupled with the endless introductions of new mysteries signal to the future. Like with soaps, the tension is created by dragging out the process of personal development for months or even years. In HOUSE MD’s latest seasons particularly it’s House’s romantic entanglement with Cuddy that is dragged on. In the case of VERONICA MARS it’s not her love life that’s dragged out, but Veronica’s struggle with opening herself up to others and trusting them, and not acting in blind revenge. So HOUSE MD uses the narratives on the character serialization level and VERONICA MARS the narratives on the plot serialization level to keep viewers curious are intrinsic to the different way these series inhabit soap opera characteristics, using cliffhangers or simple opening mysteries.

The analysis of series

What this essay illustrates is when looking at narratives of series there are different kinds of narratives at work. Open en closed narratives; narratives more similar to film and narratives similar to serials. And in between are the narratives that we do expect to have a closed ending, but do not end the series; the mythology or plot serialization level. When analyzing a series, we should thus combine the narrative strategies of both kinds of narratives. In this essay I show an example of these combined narrative strategies with using the self compiled soap characteristics and the Ruven & Batavier story steps. The long running series create the need for some nuance in the Ruven & Batavier story steps, or even additional story steps. Episodes other than the pilot episode make more use of character establishing scenes instead of character

10 Whether this goes for all series is a valid question. Even the serial-series hybrid THE OC couldn’t survive for longer than one season after Marissa, the female half of the main love story died at the end of the third season.. A few of the season 4 episodes got good critical receptions, but a lot of the fans felt so hurt by Marissa’s death that they stopped watching the show. Admittedly, the viewer ratings had already been dropping steadily from the first season on. So Marissa’s death can’t be appointed as the sole reason of the series getting cancelled. Source for the viewer ratings: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_OC

133 Moniek van der Kallen Cliffhangers versus Happy Endings introduction scenes. Individual episodes also introduce a new mystery of the week. This mystery also entails the dilemma of the week, on which every character has its own opinion. Several plans, but not necessarily five, are used to tackle this mystery of the week. These mysteries of the week may end tragically, happy or somewhere in between, so all these options should be represented in the last story step.

Unsurprisingly, series take longer to unravel the narratives on personal issues than Hollywood films. In series, realizing what the problem is, or finding new resolve to attack the problem won’t lead to a happy ending within two story steps or within the hour. This leaves room for smaller leaps forward and more relapses. Also nuance can be found when looking at the stages that precede the character willingly wanting to solve the problem. They’re allowed to be unaware of the problem, denying or ignoring the problem, there allowed to be hesitant to change longer. Because of the long-running narratives of the character serialization level, a much higher number of plans is needed. This does not necessarily indicate a repetitious nature of the series, but a nuanced nature; one problem has no one ultimate plan solution. And when the best approach is found, an ongoing struggle to stay in that position will ensue; you may experience moments of temporary resolution, no happy ending. A cliffhanger is another kind of narrative strategy which can ad insight into the workings of an episode. But a cliffhanger can occur during several story steps; if a problem is introduced but not attacked, if a plan is hatched but not executed, or if the execution of a plan is started but the outcome is unknown.

Final remarks

This essay is only an analysis of the episodes as texts, from which I tried to deduce the different narrative tactics the writers have used to try and make casual viewers into regular viewers. This essay is not adequate to answer any questions about whether the writers are aware of the different tactics they use; that would need a study of interviews given by these writers, or by interviewing the writers ourselves. To be able to tell if the used tactics work as they where intended to, reception analysis would be needed. This research is limited to the case study of 134 Moniek van der Kallen Cliffhangers versus Happy Endings two exemplary cases, so no definitive statements can be made about all series or even all procedural and series revealing season-long mysteries. It can’t be stated that procedurals without large plot serialization narratives like HOUSE MD don’t resort to the use of cliffhangers at the end of season. To be able to make such a statement more procedural series should be investigated, like for instance FRINGE ,

BONES , CSI, LAW AND ORDER or older procedurals like the X-FILES . However, combining soap series characteristics with the Hollywood narrative analyzing schedule of Ruven & Batavier, brought me closer understanding of narrative strategies of series and serials. In my opinion this could be the start of an interesting new way to look at series narratives.

135 BIBLIOGRAPY

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Hesselberth, Pepita, Bachelor course ‘TV-genres: Drama’, course code 200400257, in sept-okt 2006.

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Creeber, Glen (ed.), The television genre book , London, 2009.

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139 FILMOGRAPHY

Info about series and episodes collected from IMDB.com

HOUSE MD HOUSE MD. David Shore (creator), Fox, 2004-present.

HOUSE MD Episode 1.22: The Honeymoon, 24 May 2005. HOUSE MD Episode 120: Love Hurts, 10 May 2005. HOUSE MD Episode 1.21: Three Stories, 17 May 2005. HOUSE MD Episode 2.01: Acceptance, 13 September 2005. HOUSE MD. Episode 1.11: Detox, 15 February 2005. HOUSE MD. Episode 2.11: Need To Know, 7 February 2006. HOUSE MD Episode 2.24: Meanings (Part 2), 5 September 2006. HOUSE MD Episode 3.24: Human Error, 29 May 2007. HOUSE MD Episode 4.01: Alone, 25 September 2007. HOUSE MD Episode 4.15: House’s Head (Part 1), 12 may 2008. HOUSE MD Episode 4.16: Wilson’s Heart (Part 2), 19 may 2008. HOUSE MD. Episode 5.01: Dying Changes Everything, 16 September 2008. HOUSE MD. Episode 5.04: Birthmarks, 14 October 2008. HOUSE MD. Episode 5.06: Joy, 28 October 2008. HOUSE MD, Episode 5.09: Last Resort, 25 November 2008. HOUSE MD. Episode 5.10: Let Them Eat Cake, 2 December 2008. HOUSE MD. Episode 5.11: Joy To The World, 9 December 2008. HOUSE MD. Episode 5.23: Under My Skin, 4 May 2009. HOUSE MD. Episode 5.24: Both Sides Now, 11 May 2009. HOUSE MD. Episode 6.01 Broken: Part 1 and 6.02 Broken: Part 2, 21 September 2009. HOUSE MD. Episode 6.02: Broken Part 2, 21 September 2009. HOUSE MD Episode 6.05 Instant Karma, 12 October 2009. HOUSE MD, Episode 6.21: Help Me, 17 May 2010.

VERONICA MARS VERONICA MARS , Rob Thomas (creator), The CW, 2004-2007.

VERONICA MARS . Episode 1.01: Pilot, Rob Thomas (creator), The CW, 22 Sept. 2004. VERONICA MARS , Episode 1.05: You Think You Know Somebody, 26 October 2004. VERONICA MARS . Episode 1.09: Drinking the Kool-Aid, 30 November 2004. VERONICA MARS . Episode 1.15: Ruskie Business, 22 Februari 2005. VERONICA MARS . Episode 1.16: Betty and Veronica, 29 March 2005. VERONICA MARS , Episode 1.17: Kanes and Abel’s, April 05 2005. VERONICA MARS , Episode 1.19: Hot Dogs, 19 April 2005. VERONICA MARS . Episode 1.21: A Trip to the Dentist, 3 May 2005. VERONICA MARS . Episode 1.22: Leave It To Beaver, 10 May 2005. VERONICA MARS . Episode 2.01: Normal Is The Watchword, 28 September 2005 VERONICA MARS , Episode 2.02: Driver Ed, 5 October 2005. VERONICA MARS . Episode 2.16: The Rapes of Graff, 29 March 2006.. VERONICA MARS . Episode 2.17: Plan B, 5 April 2006. VERONICA MARS . Episode 2.20: Look Who’s Stalking, 25 April 2006. VERONICA MARS . Episode 2.21: Happy Go Lucky, 2 May 2006. VERONICA MARS . Episode 2.22: Not Pictured, 9 May 2006 VERONICA MARS . Episode 3.01: Leave It To Beaver, 3 October 2006. VERONICA MARS . Episode 3.02: My Big Fat Greek Rush Week, 10 October 2006. VERONICA MARS . Episode 3.09: Spit and Eggs, 28 November 2006. VERONICA MARS . Episode 3.12: There’s Got To Be A Morning After Pill, 6 Febr. 2007 VERONICA MARS . Episode 3.20: The Bitch Is Back, 22 May 2007.

140

ONE TREE HILL ONE TREE HILL , Mark Schwahn (creator), The CW, 2003-present

ONE TREE HILL , Episode 6.24: Remember me as a Time of Day, 18 May 2009 ONE TREE HILL , Episode 7.01: 4:30 AM (Apparently They Were Travelling Abroad), 14 September 2009

THE OC THE OC, Josh Schwartz (creator), Fox, 2003-2007.

THE OC Episode 1.04: The Debut, 26 August 2003. THE OC Episode 1.06: The Girlfriend, THE OC Episode 1.13: Best Chrismukkah Ever, 3 December 2003. THE OC Episode 2.06: The Chrismukkah That Almost Wasn’t, 16 December 2004. THE OC Episode 3.10: The Chrismukkah Bar Mitz-vahkkah, 15 December 2005. THE OC Episode 3.25: The Graduates, 18 May 2006 THE OC Episode 4.07: The Chrismukk-huh?, 14 December 2006.

Other series. “24”, Robert Cochran and Joel Surnow (creators), Fox, 2001-present.

ALIAS , J.J. Abrams, (creator), ABC, 2001-2006.

ALLY MCBEAL , David E. Kelley (creator), Fox, 1997-2000.

BONES , Hart Hanson (creator), Fox, 2005-present.

BUFFY: THE VAMPIRE SLAYER . Josh Whedon (creator), Warner Brothers Network, 1997- 2003.

COLD CASE , Meredith Stiehm (creator), CBS, 2003-present.

CORONATION STREET , Tony Warren (creator), ITV, 1960-present.

DALLAS , David Jacobs, CBS, April 2–30 1978 as miniseries, as weekly program – 1978- 1991.

DAY BREAK , Paul Zbyszewski (creator) ABC, 2006-2007

DAYS OF OUR LIVES , Ted and Betty Corday (creators), NBC and SOAPnet, 1965-present.

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES , Marc Cherry, ABC, 2004-present.

EAST ENDERS , Julia Smith & Tony Holland (creators), BBC One, 1985-present.

FLASH FORWARD , Brannon Braga (creator), ABC, 2009-2010.

FRINGE , J.J. Abrams, (creator), Fox, 2008-present.

GOSSIP GIRL , Josh Schwartz (creator), The CW, 2007-present.

HEROES , Tim Kring (creator), NBC, 2006-present.

HILL STREET BLUES , Steven Bochco, (creator), NBC, 1981-1987;

LAW AND ORDER franchise (1990-present), starting with: LAW AND ORDER , Dick Wolf (cr.), NBC, 1990-2010.

LOST , Meredith Stiehm & J.J. Abrahams (creators), CBS, 2003-2010.

MURDER , SHE WROTE , Peter S. Fischer (creator), CBS, 1984-1996.

NUMB 3RS , Nicolas Falacci (creator), CBS, 2005-present. 141 ONDERWEG NAAR MORGEN , Hans Scheepmaker (producer), Tros, Veronica, Yorin, BNN 1994-present.

PARTY OF FIVE , Christopher Keyser & Amy Lippman (creators), Fox, 1994-2000.

PRISON BREAK , Paul Scheuring (creator), FOX, 2005-2009.

THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL , William J. Bell & Lee Philip Bell, (creators), CBS, 1987-present.

THE SOPRANOS , David Chase (creator), HBO, 1999-2007.

THE X-FILES , Chris Carter (creator), FOX, 19 93-2002.

142 APPENDIX 1: THE WOW-METHOD.

143

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APPENDIX 2: THE RUVEN & BATAVIER EIGHT STORY STEP SCHEDULE

By Paul Ruven and Marian Batavier, roughly translated (an English version does exist, but was not available to the writer of this essay).

STORY STEPS LOVE STEPS

STORY STEP 1. Introduction LOVE STEP 1. Introduction I a Opening mystery introducing the problem.* I b Introduction lead character in second choice life. I Introduction lead character in second choice life. In this life, Something’s missing. he is not capable to feel real love. He denies his problem. II Introduction opposing force or competition. II The lead sees the other . A desire for a choice living with the other emerges. III Confrontation of lead character with the problem. III Boy meets girl . The other confronts him with the problem. He wants her for the promises of a first choice life, but he doesn’t because of fear of hurt and failure, the reasons why he choose to lead his second choice life.

STORY STEP 2. Deliberation LOVE STEP 2. Complication** I The lead character examines pro’s and con’s. I The desire for the other grows , but is she the one? II The problem gets, bigger , more dangerous and more forceful. III The lead character gets in a lock with the problem. II Test resulting in a lock . She is tested and turns out to be the one true love. IV A dilemma is the result; two even choices between which the III Either the lead will confess his love for the other or hesitate to do lead cannot choose. so because of the appearance of the competition . The V Lead chooses to voluntarily solve the problem . His active goal competition embodies everything the lead misses, promising a has a measurable ending which is either winning, stopping, good alternative life for the other. She has a choice. fleeing, saving, or retrieving. IV Jealousy and/or competition spurred by the newcomer.

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STORY STEP 3. Plan 1 LOVE STEP 3. Plan 1 (and 2) I The lead comes up with plan 1: the most logical plan you I Plan 1 : getting the other in an environment. There the lead hopes yourself would choose to solve the problem. to convince her of his unique qualities ( plan 2 ) II The lead holds on to his second choice life. II The lead often lies to be conceived as a better candidate than the competition, often pretending to have qualities the competition embodies. III Plan 1 fails. Now all normal solutions are excluded. III The plan threatens to fail but succeeds in the end.

STORY STEP 4. Plan 2 LOVE STEP 4. The test I The lead comes up with plan 2: an extreme plan to solve I An intimate (2 nd ) test leads to the convincing evidence of the two the problem. are meant for each other. They are the perfect team. II The lead holds on to his second choice life. II Passion. The conclusion of the test leads to passion, whether or not consummated with a kiss or even sex. III Plan 2 fails because the problem turns out to be bigger than III Everything turns out to be different. Because of the kiss, the lead thought it to be. Everything turns out to be everything turned out to be different from the assumptions he (and different. This realization hits the lead hard. she) made in their second choice life. This realization hits them hard.

STORY STEP 5. Re-evaluation LOVE STEP 5. Re-evaluation I The lead re-evaluates with ‘best friends’ in ‘safe environments’ I Breakup and re-evaluation. The lead tries to recuperate and his mistakes and his former believe in his second choice life. return to his second choice life. He can’t. II The opponent reinforces himself. II Realization: I want you. After the lead perceives that his old life III Ultimately the lead has an epiphany about having to leave his now sucks and has become meaningless, he realizes he really wants second choice life chosen out of fear to ever be able to solve the the other. But it seems impossible to ever become a happy ending. problem. IV The lead has an epiphany about how to do so: plan 3.

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STORY STEP 6. Plan 3 leads to rock bottom LOVE STEP 6. Plan 3 leads to rock bottom*** I The lead starts plan 3 , determined after his re-evaluation to live I The lead comes up with plan 3: he wants to tell the other his first choice life. that he chooses his first choice life. II Halfway the lead chickens out , and thus doesn’t choose his II But halfway the lead chickens out, being afraid he will first choice life. be seen for the fraud he is (pretending to be different with plan 1 and 2), and thus doesn’t choose his first choice life. III The lead loses everything and everyone and hits rock bottom. III The lead looses the other and hits rock bottom. IV The lead realizes his fear is constricting him. IV The lead he realizes his fear is constricting him. He chooses his He chooses his first choice life, which changes him. first choice life, which changes him. Because the pain of not living in his first choice life is bigger than the fear of his second choice life. V The lead has an epiphany on how to proceed. V The lead has an epiphany on how to proceed. VI The lead comes up with an even bigger, bolder plan 4, hoping VI This insight leads to plan 4 , with which the lead hopes to make to be able to fix everything and reach ‘heaven’. up for everything and to be able to reach ‘heaven’ with the other.

STORY STEP 7. Plan 4 LOVE STEP 7. Plan 4 I Plan 4 succeeds… Almost . It delivers the insight to make plan 5 I Plan 4 fails due to a surprise . But the surprise delivers the a success. needed information to make plan 5 a success.

STORY STEP 8. Plan 5 succeeds: happy ending LOVE STEP 8. Plan 5 succeeds: happy ending I Plan 5, the biggest and boldest plan succeeds . Problem solved. I Plan 5, the biggest and boldest plan succeeds . Problem solved. The lead gets what he needs, is now living his first choice life. The lead gets what he needs, is now living his first choice life with the Other.

* Paul Ruven and Marian Batavier call this part of the Introduction part 1.I and the Introduction of the lead character part 1.II. I called the Introduction of the lead character part 1.I a considering even the writers themselves say the first part isn’t used in most of the film scripts. ** Ruven and Batavier didn’t name the different love steps the same as the story steps. For clarity, the love steps in this schedule, are named. *** Here Ruven & Batavier use less story steps for the love narrative than for the genre related narrative. But they use the same occurrences, so I took the liberty of splitting the story steps up again until they have the same amount of sub-steps under story step 6. 148

APPENDIX 3: LYRICS VERONICA MARS .

Lyrics used in the leader of Veronica Mars

From ‘We used to be friends’ by The Dandy Warhols

A long time ago, we used to be friends But I haven't thought of you lately at all.

Come on now sugar, bring it on bring it on, yeah Just remember me when

We used to be friends A long time ago, we used to be friends.

Source: http://www.twiztv.com/cgi- bin/transcript.cgi?episode=http://dmca.free.fr/scripts/veronica- mars/season1/veronicamars-101.htm

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