ANALYZING WHEDON’S FIREFLY

AS IMPETUS FOR A DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

FOR AN ALTERNATE HISTORY, SCI-FI TELEVISION SERIES

______

A Thesis

Presented to

The Honors Tutorial College

Ohio University

______

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for Graduation from the Honors Tutorial College with the degree of

Bachelor of Science in Communication

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by

Andrew C. Essig

April 2016 Table of Contents

Thesis Introduction………………………………………………………………………………. 1 Firefly’s Legacy………………………………………………………………………………….. 8 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………. 8 Universe and World-Building…………………………………………………………... 15 Character………………………………………………………………………………... 19 Plot…………………………………………………………………………………….... 27 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………….... 31 Science Fiction as Genre………………………………………………………………………... 36 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………... 36 Society in Conflict……………………………………………………………………… 44 Expansive Travel……………………………………………………………………….. 48 Alienation………………………………………………………………………………. 53 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………… 59 The Alternate History Twist……………………………………………………………………. 64 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………... 64 Alternate History in Narrative………………………………………………………….. 74 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………….... 83 Sub Culture……………………………………………………………………………………... 87 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………... 87 Script……………………………………………………………………………………. 93 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………….…. 153 Bibliography………………………………………………………………………………...… 169 1

In the year 2517, Captain Malcolm Reynolds takes his firefly-class transport ship Serenity to a skyplex orbiting a sandy, desolate planet. There, amid the whistling and churning of the machines keeping the station operational, he is led to a secluded office and given a job by a straight-faced, no-nonsense gangster: a train heist. What ensues is a daring, daylight robbery, smuggling the package from train car to spaceship, as both whip through a desert at near-supersonic speeds. This is just one of the stories from Joss Whedon’s TV show Firefly (2002), a sci-fi-western that broadcast on the FOX network for four months before cancellation. I believe the program captured a defined vision of life in a universe so unlike anything else that was being broadcast at the time and this is the reason it elicited a loyal following from its audience that continued beyond cancellation and effectively cemented Firefly as a

“cult” show.

This audience devotion warrants study into the individual elements that made up the narrative and contributed to such an effect, such as the family dynamic that influences the decisions of the core group of characters, the overarching stories and how they weave together in an episodic format, and the creation of the exotic universe itself that acts as the backdrop for these stories. The program also embraced traditional science-fiction tropes, but in a way much more akin to a western or a gun-slinging adventure. By studying the complexity of these elements, with the context of TV pilot producing, I intend to create an original television pilot that finds success in a similar vein, ultimately utilizing Whedon’s Firefly as a guiding structure throughout the 2

process. This script will accompany the research and act as a model in which I can apply my findings and determine what works, or doesn’t, in a more accurate setting.

There are a number of aspects that make up the universe of Firefly that elicit a sense of intrigue from the viewing audience. Predominantly, these center on the unusual ways plot, tone, theme, and character are handled. For plot, each installment was episodic in nature; a primary arc moved steadily forward throughout the series, but with punctuated starts and ends that gave each episode a sense of containment.

Tone was introduced clearly and concisely at the forefront and then continued to develop at a steady pace, making the unusual world seem less alien and more natural and lived in. Familiar sights and character behaviors acted as an anchor that kept one foot of the atmosphere grounded in reality but simultaneously borrowed from cowboy and western archetypes, areas a predominantly American audience would be familiar with. The result was a unique, secondary source which could establish tone that an audience could connect with, yet was also unexpected when considering the show’s sci-fi influence. Themes and motifs of the genre were present, but donned new skins influenced by other genres and an atmosphere that seemed outside of traditional science-fiction. Where space, for example, is typically divided up into regions or systems controlled by certain factions, Firefly represents it much more as an unclaimed expanse, once again akin to the Wild West. While both sci-fi in general and

Firefly elaborate on the immensity of space and that inherent exoticism, Firefly does so through the lens of the western genre, altering the delivery of the motif, but ultimately maintaining the message accompanying it. The handling of the characters 3

and the relationships that created the tension had a substantial range, from as simple as the familial bond of the crew to as complex as considering the ship itself the tenth member of this family (The 10th Character). With the help of these dynamic elements,

Whedon not only created his show, but inspired faith that it would be successful as it stood, without any alterations to the core concept. Though not the first, I would argue that Firefly was one of the clearest examples of Andrew Sarris’s auteur theory reaching over from film and into television; that Whedon’s vision, when directing the pilot episode, was distinct enough to carry through any potential interference or creative pluralism. Though it is impossible for me to replicate that process, I intend to use my research to follow in the footsteps of a television auteur.

Looking at the science-fiction genre at large, there are a number of similar themes that are dealt with in vastly different ways. Firefly does look at distant travel and the medium of space, attitudes regarding outsiders and “aliens”, the evolution and unnatural development of the human race, and society in massive conflict, but it does so in a more indirect way, using other genres like the western and the adventure as a lens. I will include other examples to this research in order to get a more accurate representation of the characteristics of the genre.

Sci-fi television focusing on crew who operate outside the realm of established law will act as the core group, primarily Lexx (1997), Farscape (1999), and Starhunter

(2000). To a lesser extent, shows that deal with more specialized sci-fi, like sci-fantasy or sci-fi comedy, will be incorporated based on how closely they relate to either

Firefly or my original concept, including but not limited to Doctor Who (1963), Dark 4

Matter (2015), and Other Space (2015). These narratives will provide a starting point for my analysis of the themes and motifs prevalent in science-fiction as a visual medium.

The final section of my analysis will center on a characteristic of even more specialized sci-fi called “alternate history”, which includes stories that take place in a tangential timeline after a particular historical event that has occurred differently. The use of alternate history is relatively new to television. Therefore, I will be researching the concept on more general terms as it applies primarily to literature where there is a much larger assortment of novels utilizing the characteristic. I will also look at the few examples of alternate history television, and compare what I’ve taken from the general concept (and its application to literature) to the success, or failure, of these programs.

The primary focus of this subsection will be on Man in the High Castle (2015), which is television’s most ambitious look into alternate history thus far, accompanied by

AMAZON’s pursuit of other “programs that may be controversial, hoping to create shows that spark conversation and generate loyal followings”, and will debut as this report is being composed (Greene). Altogether, this section will analyze the pure idea of “alternate history”, its application to narrative, and its vague fingerprints on Firefly, to its more defined fingerprints on my original concept.

The original concept accompanying this research is titled Sub Culture and I will primarily be using it to demonstrate my understanding of the aforementioned elements and how they work in tandem with one another. I will also be applying it in a practical way that, once this research has concluded, will become a part of my script 5

portfolio as I enter the field of television screenwriting. The show I plan to develop takes place in an alternate version of the 1920s, where World War I continues to rage but has become almost strictly naval as command of the seas is extremely contested and blockades keep many of the world’s armies from staging invasions. I settled on this time period because I believe the juxtaposition of a war-torn world in the 1910s and the care-free mentality of the American 1920s creates polarizing views of society, which is a prevalent topic throughout the story. The primary lifestyle of the 20s is much more jovial and the parties and more liberating social norms are a major contributing factor. Compared to this is the prolonged, international failure of the

Great War and a desire to simply abandon any society that has agreed to take part in such a travesty. Just because the war continues to rage doesn’t necessarily mean the roaring twenties would be postponed.

The story follows a crew of six who, all for different reasons, end up on a stolen, prototype super-submarine. The six characters were initially created to fulfill the basic crew positions found on most ships/submarines, on top of the basic archetypes found throughout narratives in general: the captain/leader, the first mate/guardian, the passenger/innocent, the muscle/instigator, the navigator/misfit, and the engineer/realist. Each has a unique past that makes living on the fringe of society more appealing than returning to the roles they’ve fallen into for the sake of security or convenience.

For all of them, part of this appeal stems from the distance put between them and the politics and thinking that is orchestrating the war tearing the world apart. I’m 6

also looking to incorporate both grounded concepts, such as the unfolding of the war and logical outcomes within alternate history, as well as more fantastical concepts, such as naval mythology and the lore behind the mermaid, the leviathan, and the

Cthulhu mythos. Observing the dynamic between these two ends of the spectrum, with a wider view on the subject of alternate history complimenting the narrower look at the single program Firefly, should create a solid starting point for the development of my approach to Sub Culture.

In summary, to develop my own television pilot, I will analyze Whedon’s

Firefly to better understand how he used the science fiction genre differently from similar stories, ultimately ending up with both a unique and successful narrative, and how the more niche characteristic of alternate history can factor into my own ideas of diversifying genre. This research will culminate in the creation of a script called Sub

Culture.

First to be looked at is Firefly itself, specifically:

 How the universe was linked to the real world through narrative

 How the universe was made approachable with familiar society/culture

 How the characters’ dynamism was portrayed by embracing darker themes

 How rebel characters outside society established a connection to the audience

 How the ship itself was incorporated as a character

 How a familial tone was created between the characters and its significance

 How each antagonist was kept believable and made relevant to the story 7

 How episodes were handled and incorporated into the series-long arc

 What sci-fi tropes and themes made an appearance and how they were altered

After analyzing Firefly, I will move onto a more general look regarding the science fiction genre as a whole. This will become my second research section and will focus specifically on:

 Expansive travel and how it impacts the characters and breadth of the narrative

 How aliens are treated, what defines alien, and how to analyze these characters

 How humans are handled and may be divided along supernatural lines

 How factions add to the immensity of sci-fi and the ways conflict reveals them

Since factions are a more universal aspect in narrative, I will use them as the connecting point between my analyses of sci-fi in general and a more specific look at alternate history. This will be the final topic I explore before applying what I’ve found and will include:

 How the Point of Divergence is decided both academically and narratively

 How historical figures and the human factor in general enter the equation

 How the real timeline influences the alternate timeline, if at all

 How much time has passed since the PoD and how it factors into the narrative

After my research has concluded, I will begin work on the script itself. In the end,

I hope to have an intriguing pilot script with the academic backing to elicit faith in a loyal development process, similar to that ultimately undertaken for Firefly. 8

Firefly’s Legacy

Even though Firefly was cancelled by the network in 2002, the same year it premiered, this doesn’t mean the story hasn’t continued in one form or another. Fans’ devotion to the series has provided a number of opportunities for Whedon to elaborate on what was only hinted at during the initial four-month run. The most ambitious project undertaken was the feature film Serenity (2005) whose “existence is a testimonial to the tenacity of fans and the power of the Internet” (Chonin).

Were it not for these men and women, and their proactive approach to a more pluralist internet, this film, and what came after, would likely have never been realized. Even a decade after the show has been gone, fans are still trying to find ways to get new episodes into production. In 2011, “just days after an apparently offhand comment from Nathan Fillion, who played Capt. Malcolm Reynolds on the short-lived

Fox series, the Web [had] once again lit up with efforts to revive the sci-fi franchise”

(Gross). Not much has come from attempts to reintroduce the concept in a strictly visual medium after Serenity, but that doesn’t mean stories aren’t being released.

Comic books regarding the adventures of the crew have been released as recently as

2014 with “Dark Horse Comics… revealing… that its much-whispered about Firefly- verse comic is finally here” (Casey).

Despite the fact that Firefly was unable to remain in its intended television format, it is worth pointing out that it has, in multiple forms, released continuous content since its conception thirteen years ago. The initial, cult following, and the vocal, proactive support that instigated the creation of this content after studio funding ceased, is what 9

gave the show, and the audience itself, their chance to grow. I would argue however, that when regarding content’s impact on culture, a cult audience also has more weight than a more general audience.

It’s a safe assumption that this expanded audience/media would never have come to pass had it not been for those devoted fans of the show. However larger, more generalized audiences are almost unanimously preferred by content providers because they generate more revenue. Where shows that require a general appeal to be

“financially successful” tend to focus on broadly portrayed characters and plot points in order to keep the audience at large from feeling isolated, I’d argue that more niche shows will isolate certain portions of the audience, but more strongly connect with those who stay; a deeper identification occurs between the audience and the characters, and more is gleaned about who they are and the ways they behave.

I believe this stronger bond stays with the audience, leaving fingerprints on their other preferences and even what they themselves may create in the future, which leads me to the core element of my thesis: Content that appeals on a more personal level will stay with the audience longer than content that was purely, generally entertaining.

Aside from generating a more defined impact, a strong cult following can also lead to the resources for more ambitious projects with a more general intended audience.

As was the case with Whedon, running cult shows like Firefly led to him being tapped as the writer/director for Marvel’s blockbuster The Avengers (2012). Whedon relates that he was confident about maintaining his voice in the story throughout the process and “there are definitely stipulations and restrictions but Kevin Feige is very 10

active as a producer and worked with me a lot on the story, but they are absolutely honoring the fact that this is my film” (Edwards).

Looking back on the film, I found it lacking in Whedon’s definitive voice, especially when comparing its more staggered approach to each character with

Firefly’s unified, encompassing approach, and believe it succumbed to the pluralism of the other directors and screenwriters that had contributed to the Marvel Cinematic

Universe beforehand; where Fox had given Whedon more freedom with Firefly, and then retroactively “corrected” him by ordering a second pilot episode, Marvel took a preemptive approach that established limitations, though they were relatively fewer, at the outset. I do not, however, believe it impossible for the concept of the auteur to exist in this type of environment.

With the upcoming continuation of the Star Wars Cinematic Universe, the path seems to be set for more diversified installations that remain true to the filmmakers’ interpretations, and these personal interpretations are what must remain intact for the project to retain auteur qualities. Just as the Marvel Cinematic Universe is having difficulties adapting to the style of auteurs like Whedon, Star Wars is likely to be more accommodating because it was conceived by an auteur, George Lucas.

Lucas began in a similar vein as Whedon, devoting time to smaller projects that didn’t require much investment from anyone other than himself, but directed short films rather than pitch scripts for television shows. Because my interests lie more in television, I am more interested in the beginnings of Whedon’s career; in an ideal 11

world, my career would begin as Whedon’s had, but lead to a more auteur-friendly franchise, like Star Wars.

The cult status that acted as the groundwork for Whedon’s career is more transparent with Firefly than any of his other shows, with it having the shortest run paired with the most ambitious revival in the form of the feature-length film; this implies the smallest, but most vocal, audience. I would argue that the primary reason for this is the narrative of the series and the way the storytelling connected with the audience in a way no other television program had before.

This dynamic can be summarized by a single line from the character of Kaylee: “I love my captain” (Serenity). Through this singular bit of dialogue, the arcs of the key protagonist, Mal, which are explored through a more unique, muddier moral lens, do not lose him any sympathy with the audience; as Whedon put it, Kaylee “is kind of the heart of the piece. When [she] says this person is a good person, I’m like ‘yes, because you think so’… she’s supposed to be the soul of the ship” (Serenity Commentary).

More is done to solidify Kaylee’s link to the audience beyond the pilot, but, right off the bat, the audience does have a guide of sorts that makes this universe, alien in both environment and morals, at the very least, approachable. The ambiguous approach to morality is strengthened when looking at how the main characters were handled as a group. As Whedon said when he pitched Firefly, “this is about nine people looking into the blackness of space and seeing nine different things”, which means there are bound to be disagreements over what is right and what is wrong

(Brioux). 12

Firefly was not a show that sought to tease out defined moralities from the events of a particular episode, the approach was much more “here’s everybody, and here’s the space, and here’s how they interact” with more emphasis on how each character would react in their own way to the decisions being made and the unfolding of the story (Serenity Commentary). It’s a less “clean” way to look at the priorities of the characters than more traditional, plot-driven shows, but it does give each one a bigger presence, another potential reason for an audience member to more closely identify with a particular character. Because of the ambiguities regarding the characters, there naturally created a sense of openness with many of the story’s arcs; very few were wrapped up neatly with a cathartic ending and many have substantial fingerprints on the episodes that came later down the road.

A rather unique example of this character dynamic is found in the episode “War

Stories”, which acts as a loose follow-up to the previous episode, but also brings back an antagonist introduced a number of episodes beforehand. This tied the individual episodes together into the larger story of the entire series, making it appear much more cohesive without much planning occurring beforehand. As Whedon said, “when you’re building a show, and a world particularly, the best thing is to lay in little things… and sometimes you lay in things and you’re not sure… I wanted [Blue Sun] to be this sort of more and more oppressive interplanetary conglomerate… and that it was connected somehow with the mystery we’re all heading to” (Serenity

Commentary). The larger threat of the Blue Sun is present throughout the series, as an adversary of this magnitude would be, and even though the audience doesn’t know its 13

darker intentions, they are exposed to it to the same degree the characters are.

Billboards for the Blue Sun brand litter the background of populated areas, clothes bearing the logo are worn by characters, the name is splashed on almost everything but goes largely ignored because it’s perceived simply as advertisements for a corporation.

This calculated revelation of the plot and characters of Firefly combined with its portrayal to the audience not only establishes a unique narrative, but elicits enough of a connection to create a strong following for the program.

A clearer way of making the universe of Firefly familiar is the very heavy western inspiration found throughout many of the show’s stories and visuals. These aesthetics and narratives are complimented by a recent trend in sci-fi that states “ever since we started getting pessimistic about the messianic powers of technology and government, most filmed visions of the future have tended toward the primitive and apocalyptic, depicting space as the next frontier — lawless, violent and cruel”

(Chocano). Though this particular future has never before been seen, it is made familiar by tropes American audiences have expected to find in westerns and cowboy flicks; the arc that unravels accommodates these elements that, in ways never before employed, ground audience expectations and anchor them in some sense of believability.

Story and visuals are not the only ways this connection is drawn. A similar approach was taken with the music of the series, “old music from the future—the music of roaring campfires and raucous cowboys mixed with the warm, pensive sounds of Asian culture and, occasionally, a cold imperial trumpet, heralding the 14

ominous structural presence of a domineering government” (Townsley). In many ways, this familiarity strengthens the narrative and allows the sci-fi and the western aspects to play off each other in uncommon, but natural, ways. At its most basic, the frontier as it’s represented in the realm of science fiction “expresses a conviction that science and technology truly can make us pioneers again, in the deeps of outer space, on fresh, new worlds”, and this conviction mirrors the “cussedness” of American settlers and the belief in manifest destiny that drove the taming of the western United

States (Mogen 36).

Through sci-fi media, especially Firefly where the distinctions are more exaggerated, the opposite traits are utilized to obtain the same result; different means bring about the same ends, taming of a land and what that means to the society at large. The frontier, whether the physical of the past or the speculative of the future, remains “a place where Americans seek imaginatively to define their character, their relationship to their culture” (38). Witnessing the same event paired alongside different circumstances allowed audiences to revisit existing character types, tropes, and themes in a different environment, see a different story crafted that had a few oddly familiar pieces with it.

Note: The following analysis draws a number of key references from the Firefly episodes “Serenity”, “Train Job”, and “Objects in Space”. A basic understanding of these episodes is recommended.

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Universe and World-Building

Connections through Narrative

Aside from genre hybridization, much was done in the realm of the narrative to make a connection from this vast, new universe to the audience, especially with the character of Kaylee. On the surface, she acts as the conscious of the ship, the voice of innocence, but analytically, there is much more to her intended bond with the audience.

Whedon repeatedly refers to Kaylee as the emotional “in” for the audience,

“she’s like the narrator, we feel what she feels”, and that connection goes on to provide not necessarily a universal moral compass, but one that bridges some perception of ethics between this world and the world of Firefly (Objects in Space

Commentary). As Jewel Staite, the actress who portrays Kaylee, said herself,

“[Kaylee] has no secret agenda. It's all right out on the table. She wears her heart on her sleeve” (Staite). This show of honesty toward the rest of the crew puts her in a more intimate position with the audience than those who are keeping things, malicious or otherwise, hidden; when something elicits a negative reaction from her, it is a fundamental reaction, one inherent in everyone no matter how different their environments may be.

Though Kaylee was a constant reference throughout the series, she alone wouldn’t be enough to ensure the narrative in general and the rest of the crew connected back to the audience. This would be especially true in the pilot episode 16

“Serenity”, where the entire universe of the show is first presented to the audience.

One of the unusual benefits of this pilot was its length, twice as long as the usual episode of television, which took “an admirably relaxed (but TV-lethal) pace in establishing its initially unwieldy cast” (Robinson). This runtime, two hours with commercials, was essential in introducing the audience to the universe at a more controlled pace, which allowed for the digestion of the information being received.

But, as Robinson insinuates, this does sacrifice the attention of the more skeptical viewer who may not be all that willing to give the pilot a chance. Whedon attempted to correct for this by focusing on the human element of the protagonist, Mal, and concisely revealing why he was the way he was: “rather than start a show where we have a closed off, kind of angry person and we gradually find out why, [we started] with somebody wonderful and [knew] right away why he becomes as uncompromising as he does later on” (Serenity Commentary).

Ultimately, it would never be revealed how this tactic worked for the pilot, because a surrogate pilot would end up taking its place as the first to premiere, the episode “Train Job”. Essentially, Whedon would have to incorporate all the information he put in “Serenity” into this episode, but with the traditional hour runtime and more extensive studio notes. This would lead to an overwhelming amount of information and the stronger introduction to the series remaining “Serenity” despite its longer, unorthodox format. Everything in “Train Job” would be condensed in order to accommodate the network’s desire for a more standardized conflict with a “larger than life villain”, including Mal’s backstory, which is now briefly mentioned as the 17

main arc for this episode is introduced, and the sci-fi-western hybridization which is very succinctly punctuated in a single shot of Mal being thrown through a holographic window during a barroom brawl (Train Job Commentary).

The network’s approach would effectively reinforce the rather passive information provided in “Serenity” by applying it to tenser, more active situations, putting action behind what was talked about, but gloss over the specific details of key plot points. These plot points combined with the network’s desire for something more conventional, overburdened the hour run-time of this “follow-up” episode. In short,

“there was simply too much information for [the audience] to take in all at once”

(Train Job Commentary).

Connections through Aesthetics

Where the narrative and the characters succeeded and, in the case of “Train

Job”, failed, the aesthetics and language of the series stood more stalwart, unimposing but reinforcing. In the first act of “Serenity”, the audience is introduced to the primary story arc surrounding the need to sell the cargo the crew has just illegally salvaged by following them through the Eavesdown Docks on their way to meet the buyer. The area is incredibly diverse, hosting ragged peddlers, ornate women in oriental-style outfits, and stern-faced guards in their sterile uniforms, and allows the introduction of the multi-culturalism and significant societal differences to be portrayed visually in a location that doesn’t draw attention to itself and distract from the immediate story; there is the expectation of this information because the audience is in a relatively appropriate situation for it: a bazaar (a trope in both western and sci-fi genres). 18

Where the circumstances of “Serenity” allow for more passivity in this world- building, “Train Job” faced a bit more urgency in order to get the point across, thus the bar fight scene at the head of the first act. From the eastern-styled belly-dancer in the very first shot, to the game of Chinese checkers directly commented on by the characters, to the brawl itself in the bar on a dusty frontier, everything about the universe is brought more to the surface, made a bit more clear so the primary arc, also introduced in this scene, can commence without delay. Though this is done precisely, and is generally effective in limited situations, the sheer quantity of these occurrences in just the first few minutes of the episode make them difficult to grasp and have them each pushing into one another, vying for the audience’s attention.

Nevertheless, everywhere steps could be taken to acquaint the audience with this universe, they were, no matter how small they seemed. Even during a dinner scene aboard the ship in “Serenity”, Whedon claims, “you couldn’t ask for a better mission statement of the look of the show than [Mal] with [his] western tin cup and [his] chopsticks” (Serenity Commentary).

What was done with the aesthetics in these two pilots, was also done with the audio, particularly the dialogue. Simply put, “a show’s got a different way of looking at the world when the characters don’t say they’re ‘going to do’ something but that they’re ‘fixin’ to do’ it instead” (Edwards). With the western-styled simplicity in

Jayne’s line from the “Serenity” teaser: “any one you walk away from, right, as long as we got the goods”, and Mal’s Mandarin swear at the outset of the bar fight in the 19

“Train Job” teaser, it’s clear that this is a very different universe with a very unusual approach to language (Serenity).

Whedon’s approach, however, does have its reasoning behind it; leaning toward more simple, western language compliments the more simplistic lifestyle of the characters, to get work and get paid, while the Mandarin exclamations add a touch of foreignness, both drawing attention to a key moment of the narrative and creating a sense of unfamiliarity and tension. While introducing an unknown world to the audience, the visual and the auditory elements of the show simultaneously serve to reinforce the narrative and strengthen the connection to the universe around which it is set.

Character

The Darker Narrative

While relatively little must be done to introduce this darker world to an audience, maintaining the atmosphere is a much more substantial task, and one that relies heavily on the presentation of the characters. This is especially true because it is this presentation which conceals a darker side; just because there is a sense of romance, adventure, and “quippy” dialogue about the crew does not mean hardship, danger, and distrust are absent from the story arcs.

On the most basic level for the protagonist of Firefly, “we see how much he’s willing to compromise, how much he’s willing to take, then we see how much he’s willing not to take, we see exactly how far he can be pushed, and no further” (Serenity 20

Commentary). Showing Mal’s restraint and then failing to remain within its breaking point provides him with much more opportunity when it comes to his arc, he isn’t able to solve the problems thrown at him without changing; he must adapt, and the audience, as witnesses to these events, can see this evolution regarding his surroundings, and the side effects that develop alongside it. Favoring character a bit more over narrative can also eliminate unwritten restrictions that serve no real purpose, like when Whedon was faced with the belief “you have to earn the really dark, horrible stuff; and instead we put it [after the pilot] episode” (Train Job

Commentary).

It seems to me, that across all genres of television, darker storylines are saved for later in a series, after characters have been thoroughly introduced to the audience, so that the emotional weight is appropriate, there’s more investment in these characters and whether or not they get through these events; this has led to the belief that one has only “earned” the right to create these stories after they’ve gone through the work of establishing a bond between the characters and the audience, strong enough to generate empathy when the characters are put through these ordeals.

Based on Whedon’s comment, he appears to believe there were exceptions to this rule and experimented with presenting his characters concurrently with these types of narratives, not before them. This was not only a more natural approach to character development, but a more rounded portrayal of the characters involved; the wider picture of who a character is can be more readily addressed when they react to entirely different situations, instead of only slightly different situations. 21

Specifically, the darker stories within Firefly centered heavily on character relationships and how they would develop over these weightier, plot-driven arcs. With

“Objects in Space”, for example, the episode came about because Whedon wanted “to do an episode where River became a part of the group”, and it effectively takes the character, River, and studies her against the sadistic bounty hunter who is after her,

“these two people aren’t the same [as the rest of the crew], they’re outsiders, they experience things the same way” (Objects in Space Commentary).

Though this approach ultimately reveals the differences between the two characters, symbolized in the innocence River imbues in a gun, going so far as to perceive it as a tree branch, and the pain the bounty hunter imbues in it, using it to keep Simon hostage, more dire concepts had been conceived to explore the unfolding character relationships. In regards to Inara and Mal’s relationship, and the show in general, executive producer Tim Minear has said:

She had this magic syringe. She would take this drug. And if she were, for instance, raped, the rapist would die a horrible death. The story was that she gets kidnapped by Reavers and when Mal finally got to the ship to save her from the Reavers, he gets on the Reaver ship and all the Reavers are dead. Which would suggest a kind of really bad assault. At the end of the episode, he comes in after she's been horribly brutalized, and he comes in and he gets down on his knee, and he takes her hand. And he treats her like a lady. And that's the kind of stuff that we wanted to do. It was very dark. And this was actually the first story that Joss pitched to me when he asked me to come work on the show. He said, 'These are the kind of stories we're going to do' (Anders). Though it is impossible to see how this concept would have played out, these types of stories do invite more extreme, wider ranging views of the character; they create a 22

fuller interpretation and the audience witnesses a more dynamic evolution of their arc, not restrained to the traditional introduction-before-dark-story formula.

The Rebel Protagonists

Paired with the darker stories is the natural complement of “rebel” protagonists who always have an eye out for their personal interest, rarely working together toward a singular goal. Whedon’s rationalization for this approach in Firefly is his belief that,

“the dumb guy with the gun, standing there and has no lines, he thinks he’s the hero of the story, everybody always does… everybody’s got a perspective”, and that perspective, as is often the case in real life, seldom includes the greater interest

(Serenity Commentary).

This perspective is what keeps the individual members of the crew from becoming one cohesive unit but simultaneously grants them the fortitude to stand on their own; it also generates tremendous conflict onboard the ship and continually offers moments where tensions break and the characters react, providing the audience insight into the protagonists without relying on outside characters or plot points.

Whedon wrote the story so his protagonists provide the template of the narrative and all other elements conform to fit it. Their charisma and the tension in their relationships were designed to be the driving force of the stories. As Dean Kowalski also argues: “[the characters’] stories develop via their (respective) self-forming choices”, not the general arc of the series narrative or the events occurring around them (Goodrum). They are written in such a way that multiple, logical courses of 23

action are available to them, but their personal motivation, as a character, is what drives their decisions.

Decision-making was something each protagonist had a hand in and defined the individualistic element of the character dynamic; unlike the aforementioned links that drew Kaylee and Mal to the audience, the characters’ approach to free will, and their tendency to act on it throughout the series, are major parts of what make them rebellious. Whedon provides the opportunities for different actions, and then has the character follow through with the one most aligned to how they think, who they are.

This behavior, in part, is exacerbated by the fact that the crew seems to exist in perpetual poverty, that they “carry old fashioned guns not because phasers don't exist in the future, but because this rag-tag crew can't afford them” (Brioux). The protagonists must act against the government that seeks to keep them in this state, but also be aware when an opportunity may surface to change things, and how the repercussions of this change may affect their peers. The latter instance is visited in the consecutive episodes “Ariel” and “War Stories”, where Jayne first acts to escape his poverty, and then sacrifices the little wealth that he has. Quite literally, he exchanges members of the crew, the fugitives Simon and River, to the Alliance for money before getting double crossed and returning them safely to the ship. The rest of the crew simultaneously pulls off a successful heist but everyone’s shares, including Jayne’s, are given up in order to reclaim their pilot, Wash, who is being ransomed by a crime lord. 24

Though the two acts in a sense contradict one another, Jayne’s decisions are still affected only by himself, his handing over the money influenced by guilt just as his drive for the money was driven by greed; substantial actions are enacted with only himself taken into consideration. The incorporation of money into the narrative is taken one step farther, with Howard Kahm arguing poverty is actually the more attractive end of the spectrum in the universe because the only upper-class characters portrayed have accumulated their wealth through immoral means and “it is difficult to make an ‘honest’ profit, hence Mal’s ironic statement that they ‘couldn’t let us profit, it wouldn’t be civilized’” (Goodrum).

Thus, money acts as a means to grant the protagonists the promise of autonomy, but also acts as a deterrent because of the threat of corruption and an insoluble lifestyle; it provides a reason for them to remain united, but does so because of the perception it projects, of evil, instead of being necessary to the characters and ultimately removing their autonomy. This sense of autonomy created by Whedon provides more opportunity for error, and darker arcs, on the part of the protagonists in a way that connects to the audience because the characters err for a reason similar to most people’s, they fail to see the bigger picture and the benefits of working together, they trust themselves too much.

Role of the Antagonists

Paired with this unusual approach to the protagonists is a rather unusual handling of the antagonists as well. Antagonists in Firefly appear to carry much more weight in the narrative than other sci-fi villains. Typically sci-fi elements focus on the 25

story itself or on the protagonists and how they handle a situation. Star Trek (1966) has a few popular examples: in “Balance of Terror” Kirk faces off against a Romulan commander in a ship-to-ship pursuit and showcases his tact as a captain, but he does not develop this skill through an arc over the episode, he already possesses it and is constantly shown as a threat to the Romulan ship; in “Space Seed”, the audience glimpses Kirk’s civility in the face of one of the most vicious men in history, Khan

Noonien Singh, but again, he possessed this trait all along, as symbolized by the dinner he has set up to welcome Khan to the Enterprise. Just because traditional sci-fi employs this relationship to villains however, doesn’t mean it would be used by

Firefly.

A more fundamental example stems from the physical reoccurrence of a number of antagonists throughout the show’s run; of the 14 episodes, “Shindig”, “War

Stories”, and “Trash” all see the reemergence of a previous enemy in varying, but major, capacities. This assigns a specific motif to each antagonist, explored through a major, but more episodic, arc. For Badger, it is the criminality the crew must put up with to remain outside of Alliance space, the lesser evil; for Niska, it is the criminality they fight against, malicious and absolute; and for Saffron, it is Mal’s specific characteristics embodied by a criminal, an evil foil to the beloved captain.

There is also the bounty hunter Jubal Early in “Objects in Space”, who acts as a form of metamorphosis for the character River, through the similarities the two share, and his eventual defeat at her hand. The relationship between the two centers on a psychological battle, and through the conflict, the audience witnesses “what [Early] 26

brings to the party [darkness], however his perspective may mirror River’s, is the opposite of what she does and it’s through understanding that that the crew finally accepts her” (Objects in Space Commentary).

This particular arc only took a single episode to manifest, even though Badger,

Niska, and Saffron were each utilized in a similar fashion across there multiple- episode runs. Some of these types of arcs don’t manifest in a single character, but are enacted through a society of antagonists, as is the case with the Reavers, who act “as a site of literal and metaphorical suture, [are] configured as the negative reciprocal of the Alliance: dark, chaotic, savage, and pushed to the edge, both narratively and spatially” (Goodrum). Their position as the foil of the Alliance takes the moral grey the protagonists encounter into the universe at large; either ends of the spectrum are uninhabitable for the crew and a middle ground is the only place that offers any solace.

Episodes “Safe”, “The Message”, and “Heart of Gold” all employ more traditional, single-minded enemies for the crew to face off against, similar to the Star

Trek examples, and they add to the narrative as a whole in much the same way the

Romulan Commander and Kahn had. Even though audiences may complain that the backwater inhabitants of “Safe” “don’t quite jibe with the Firefly universe”, the

Alliance officer in “The Message” is “ultimately pretty toothless”, and the mayor in

“Heart of Gold” is “a pantomime, hypocritical bad guy”, there’s still much to glean from the crew’s interactions with them (Edwards). 27

In “Safe” it’s revealed the crew will act with force to ensure the safety of everyone onboard Serenity, in “The Message” they will indeed stand up to the

Alliance if they have the upper hand, and in “Heart of Gold” they will not abide the use of violence against innocents if they can help it; these antagonist effectively contribute to the arcs of the characters as a whole indirectly. Lastly, there is the

Alliance itself, the ultimate centralization of power that symbolizes the belief popular in sci-fi: “wherever humans congregate in one place, power structures will arise and quickly work to reign in any manifestation of individual empowerment” (Goodrum).

When there is mention of the Alliance, there is the crew’s instant sense of distrust, when there is interference on the part of the Alliance, there is the crew’s contempt and hostility; the Alliance not only draws on the audience’s suspicion of those in power and the belief they lack noble intentions, it reinforces the protagonists’ reasoning for acting against it, a shared perception of the Alliance is perhaps the strongest bond the audience can find in these “rebel” characters. This rebellion influences both the ways the protagonists act and react to the antagonists and offers a solid start for the deeper look into dark storylines.

Plot

Connecting Episodes

As previously discussed, characters do play an important role in the episodic arcs because they will recur after they premiere. 28

With Badger, the “agent” for the crew who finds the work, the audience is given two relatively simple introductions to him in the episodes “Serenity” and

“Shindig” because he is a relatively simple character, a source of work for the crew, little needs to be done to explain his dynamic with the protagonists.

Saffron on the other hand, an actress/con-woman, turns from the doe-eyed village girl in “Our Mrs. Reynolds” to a conniving thief in “Trash”, which means the introduction the audience gets in these two instances are different because the character changes in the eyes of the protagonists; her relation to them shifts from sweet and passive to hostile and incredibly threatening.

Even though there is a vast difference in the portrayal of each of these two recurring characters, the audience is able to understand their arcs regardless of what order their episodes are viewed; enough exposition occurs in each to inform the audience of prior interactions.

The same thing can be said about the “soft” two-parters of the series, consecutive episodes that spill into one another narratively but not enough for knowledge of the previous episode to be required. In the first example, “Safe” opens with the delivery of the cargo that was acquired in the previous episode “Shindig, in the second, “War Stories” opens up with the crew enjoying the benefits of the successful heist in “Ariel”. Both instances add a bit of depth to the series arc, but can easily be explained because they pertain to the work the crew does; it makes sense that a cargo ship would have cargo or a modest influx of money. 29

Recurring characters and narrative arcs are written in a way that makes sense to audiences who hadn’t seen the previous relevant episode, but the occurrence of these characters/arcs is still much higher than other television seasons that seem to be dominated by one-off episodes; there is much more of an open feel, when looking at the universe of Firefly, for those viewers who keep an eye on recurring elements, they flow much more naturally than traditional episodes that are neatly wrapped up by the time the credits roll.

Compartmentalizing Episodes

Looking more toward the potential direction of the show, there appears to be the first steps taken to bring this sense of fluidity forward, essentially compartmentalizing groups of consecutive episodes based on major character or plot points. These are few because of the program’s short run, but the relationship between River and the rest of the crew seems to be a major point in the final episode “Objects in Space”. By the end of the arc, River has single-handedly saved the crew from Jubal Early and has been accepted, if not by the crew in general, than at the very least by Mal and Kaylee.

This behavior occurs in stark contrast to the prior episodes where the two had regarded River with distrust, establishing a change in the way River is regarded by her peers and creating a “compartment” of the first fourteen episodes where River is regarded with paranoia by the crew instead of the respect lightly touched on by the episode’s end. 30

A similar instance occurs with narrative devices, in this case, the use of flashbacks. In the episodes “Serenity” and “The Message”, they establish an arc that will be explored in the “modern” time, flashing back to provide the audience with the information they need to understand the current story, this is a more traditional utilization in television programs and has merit regardless of where they occur in the series.

The more weighty flashbacks in “Ariel” and “Out of Gas”, where the audience witnesses the Tam’s and the core crew’s past respectively, primarily contained a standalone arc that was explored exclusively from what took place in the “modern” time, was narratively unrelated but did mirror the emotional tone of the main arc. It could be assumed that once the protagonists had had the fundamental elements of their backstory revealed to the audience, these types of flashbacks would no longer be used, they would be swapped out for exclusively those that introduced an arc for the

“modern” time.

At a glance, there definitely doesn’t seem like that much was happening pertaining to the overall structure of the episodes of a series that ran for half a season, but the universe was in fact being made incredibly expansive, both by bleeding episodes into one another to give them a broader narrative scope, and providing the appearance of compartmentalization, grouping episodes of similar character or narrative dynamics together to provide more substantial arcs that remained autonomous of the series-wide arcs; this offered a much more fluid feel that provided a more realistic base to the unusual premise. 31

Conclusion

Looking at how all these criteria fit into the fabric of Firefly and add to the story Joss Whedon set out to create, I would argue that the elements fit together with near perfect harmony and it was in no way the fault of the story that the series ended as abruptly as it did. From the pilot to the structure of the rather limited run, it appears that almost everything had been accounted for. I believe this approach is exactly what

I need for the development of my own pilot; even when the end result is rather short, and not as complete as one was anticipating, the work that goes into establishing all this information definitely shows, and it undoubtedly makes for a richer, more memorable story, one that maintains a substantial, loyal audience even a decade later.

Overall, I would deem the introduction of the program through the combination of narrative and supplementary visual/language elements a general success. In the double-length pilot “Serenity”, there is plenty of time to get a basic, though solid, handle on all nine of the cast, look deeper into the reasoning behind

Mal’s uncompromising behavior, and even establish Kaylee as the emotional compass for the audience, though this is more fully fleshed out in later episodes.

In what ends up being the actual pilot however, the aforementioned elements are glossed over in order to accommodate a more active episode arc and abide by the standard, hour runtime; though this acts as a great follow-up to the pilot, reaffirming everything learned in “Serenity” and applying it to a new story without getting bogged down, there is simply too much information and a little piece of each element gets lost in the process of making the episode digestible for the typical viewing audience. In 32

either case, the aesthetics and liberties taken with the language are fairly sound, remaining in the background, effectively doing little more than reinforcing the universe Whedon was attempting to convey, even if that vision was somewhat muddied in “Train Job”.

In fact, the only weighty issue encountered when attempting to relay the information of the universe to the audience appears to be the restructuring of the episode order. It’s fairly reasonable to assume that had the writers been given more time, planning would have been done to reevaluate some of the narrative elements and perhaps withhold one in order to allow the time to explore the others a bit more fully.

I believe these three aspects provide the basic structure for making a darker, more expansive universe like Firefly’s approachable to a more general audience: looking into the main protagonist’s past to personally witness why he may behave in an untraditional way, reinforcing this sympathy by establishing a closer relationship to a character the audience can connect to on a more fundamental level, and taking the time to look into the lives of each of the other protagonists, combined with the structuring of complimentary visuals and language.

The portrayal of characters in Firefly, both protagonist and antagonist, efficiently conveyed the darker stories Whedon wanted to write, but only had a chance to touch on during the show’s limited run. Mal’s portrayal especially, whose desire to get what he wanted led almost exclusively to struggle and hardship, invited the opportunity for a very personal connection to the audience. It looked as if this development would be complimented with darker narratives that played off this 33

connection, but little can be said about this approach toward more extreme motifs since only two episodes, “Bushwhacked” and “Objects in Space”, were produced that dealt with them to some degree.

The other protagonists emphasized this with the individuality of each of their characters; this skews the moral compass of the show in general while reinforcing the

“rebel” aspect of the characters and the fact they only answer to themselves to some degree.

The inclusion of poverty amongst the crew accentuated this by acting as a lens with which the moral ambiguity and shifts of the universe can be spotted; the wealthy, and acts to obtain wealth, are immoral while the poor, and sacrifices of wealth, are moral, at least in the eyes of the crew.

On the other hand, the antagonists and their presence, both physically and in the realm of the narrative, is influential, regardless of how nontraditional they may be.

Whether looking at the mirroring of Jubal Early and River Tam in “Objects in Space” or Ranse Burgess’s intimidation of defenseless women in “Heart of Gold”, something very important is either developed within or learned about the protagonists and their place within the narrative, such as River becoming accepted by the rest of the crew or

Mal’s unshakable desire to do right when he can.

Though there is definitely more that could have been done to expand on the characters, both protagonist and antagonist, I believe the direction Whedon wanted to take the show was made clear and a lot, at the very least the most fundamental aspects 34

of the characters, was put in place during these first few stories in order to see this direction come to fruition. This was a very effective structure, from a character standpoint, to begin building from an unfamiliar, sci-fi universe, to an unfamiliar, sci- fi universe fraught with dark narratives and no clear distinction between what is right and wrong.

The plot structure of Firefly’s episodes was successful in providing the show with a grander scope and giving it the feel of a more cohesive story even though the content was limited to half a season. The recurring arcs of the antagonists gave a more natural feel to the standalone episodes while entertaining a thought not many shows have dealt with: the bad guy doesn’t cease to exist once he’s been “dealt with” by the protagonists. It also offered substantial, if not equal, arcs for the protagonists to be compared against, accentuating the differences and revealing key character traits.

The “soft” two-parters served a similar purpose, drawing the crew’s actions together and giving them a deeper purpose. However, giving these actions warrant outside the prior episodes would ensure that new viewers would not become lost in the narrative, which was done by focusing the connections on the basic elements of the show, primarily behind the implicit business of a transport ship.

Likewise, compartmentalization was key in creating the beats in the fluidity the arc of the series was creating. Doing this through the crew’s perception of River would contribute a dramatic shift in character relations and work toward developing an evolution of the crew’s perception as a whole, essentially creating a single arc each protagonist was a major part of. 35

The utilization of the flashbacks was a bit more limited in its scope but would ultimately make up an arc of the crew’s backstory, unrelated in plot but similar in emotional tone. This too would act as a single arc for the characters, but each would have their own, isolated story, not unified as their perception of River was. Generally, this was a very solid way of structuring a universe that looked at both character’s impact on the entirety of the series as a whole, as well as narrative’s impact, in a way that connected each episode to the general story, but maintained distinctions that revealed substantial shifts in the arc itself.

36

Science Fiction as Genre

NYU film professor Ken Dancyger believes that all genres contain central motifs that aid screenwriters in crafting their material. According to Dancyger, central science fiction motifs include the innocence of the central character, who “is victimized by a technological accident or an unnatural phenomenon of another world” and a plot intensive storyline that “presents a specific threat to the natural order” and the protagonist’s response to this (83). It is my intention to study traditional interpretations of science fiction motifs to determine if there are any apparent instances of stronger storytelling among them.

Though Dancyger’s suggested motifs seemingly apply to the narrative in

Firefly, they appear to be incorporated in unusual ways and I believe a general analysis of the sci-fi genre (combined with examples from Firefly) will best prepare me for my own sci-fi project.

For example, when examining Dancyger’s initial motif for Firefly, Mal’s active part in the war portrayed in the “Serenity” teaser removes a sense of innocence from his character even though he comes to be introduced as a kind-hearted, compassionate person, and his conflict stems from the familiar issues war usually instigates though it does take place on another planet, one that is not Mal’s home.

Similarly, the Alliance never acts as a threat to the natural order of things from their perspective as society at large, but they do crack down on illegalities like smuggling, threatening the order of the crew of Serenity, the primary society from the view of the audience. 37

These inconsistent, but blatant, shifts away from the typical portrayal of science fiction motifs don’t interfere with the quality of the completed narrative but do pose the question: would Firefly have benefited from a stricter adherence to the tropes of the sci-fi genre? To examine this question within the increasingly large scope of science fiction television that has evolved over the years, I will limit my research to a subgenre that relates specifically back to both Firefly and my own pilot: science fiction that tells the story of an “ensemble crew”.

An ensemble, in terms of drama, is defined as a narrative “in which the principal actors and performers are assigned roughly equal amounts of importance and screen time” (dictionary.com).With Star Trek, there is the fact that the hundreds of crewmen on the Enterprise do not have an equal amount of screen time like the crew of nine aboard Serenity. Even though the argument could be made that the main crew of the Enterprise do have a more proportionate amount of screen time, they still do not have proportionate importance to the narrative. For the purpose of this particular definition of “ensemble crew”, importance will be determined by the amount of weight each character’s own, unique arc holds in the narrative in general.

Therefore, within this definition, the characters of Firefly, who are heavily driven by their own desires and moral compasses, each hold equal importance while the characters of Star Trek, heavily driven only by the agenda of the Federation and

“its five-year mission to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before” sacrifice their autonomous importance for a focus on the crew of the Enterprise in general (Roddenberry). The 38

arc of the Enterprise outweighs the arcs of any singular characters aboard it. Examples of this can be found throughout Star Trek, such as when Kirk sacrifices his own happiness with a woman he loves to save the future where the Federation exists in

“City on the Edge of Forever”, or when the crew of an evil, alternate universe reveals itself to be just as dedicated to its Terran Empire as the real crew is to the Federation in “Mirror Mirror”.

With Firefly on the other hand, Mal is constantly trying to find work while

Simon is trying to keep his sister hidden from the Alliance, Book is trying to decipher the meaning of his life and his purpose on board Serenity, and Jayne is trying to get rich as quickly as he possibly can. Therefore, society, represented by the crew of the

Enterprise, is actually run very efficiently because each character is perpetually in a position where his/her own arc is subordinate to that of the Enterprise; Firefly represents a much more fragile “society” living in poverty and insecurity because the characters maintain their own arcs above that of Serenity in general, everyone is primarily occupied with themselves.

Aside from acting as a narrative link from Firefly to my pilot, I believe ensemble crew programs also maintain a wide enough scope in the realm of sci-fi to accurately represent the themes and motifs of the genre if not the specifics of the narrative itself. Where Firefly failed to produce the “innocent bystander who is victimized by a technological accident” or the plot centering on a “specific threat to the natural order”, other ensemble crew shows more faithfully portrayed these aspects as key parts of their plotlines (Dancyger 83). In the premiere of Lexx (1997), the key 39

protagonist is simply trying to clear his name after a misunderstanding when a dying man unintentionally infuses him with the ability to control the most powerful ship in the universe. Throughout Starhunter (2000) the crew of the Tulip encounters the

Divinity Cluster, a series of alien genes discovered in humans that, as portrayed through a number of secondary characters, mankind is not ready to unlock; the threat remains looming as the malevolent Orchard continually runs experiments and causes trouble for the crew.

Despite Firefly’s unusual utilization of Dancyger’s criteria, there still exists a number of similar shows that employ sci-fi motifs in more traditional ways. This allows each narrative to focus on the ensemble crew itself while allowing this thesis to expand its analysis from just Firefly to the sci-fi genre at large. Three elements I have identified as among the most recognizable in both traditional sci-fi and the ensemble crew program will be focused on over the course of this section:

 the established society and its seemingly perpetual instability

 expansive travel and the importance of the vehicles that allow it

 the role of identity and family in the narrative

In regards to the perception of society, there appears to be a consistent link to some sort of physical conflict, or the threat of such a conflict. When Lexx begins, for example, the Insect Wars have just ended with humanity emerging victorious; the threat of the Insects’ return however, has allowed His Divine Shadow to retain despotic control over the League of 20,000 Planets and sets the stage for a heavily 40

dystopic environment. One explanation for this is the importance of society to an audience, its role in the lives of humans in general, and the fact that science fiction television has “potentially infinite textual readings matched against social and historical contexts” (Geraghty 101). This allows audiences to extract their own meaning that connects most solidly with their unique perception of society and the dangers that threaten to destabilize it; there are many substantial dangers present within the fictional society but, as with natural society, there is not a singular issue that, when corrected, acts as a universal fix.

Expansive travel tends to shift focus from the audience’s perspective to a much more defined experience of freedom and autonomy. In Starhunter this manifests twofold, both with the protagonist’s more relatable desire to find work because his command of his ship allows him to pursue bounties, and with the more personal desire to find his son who has been taken by the spacefaring Raiders. The freedom provided by his ship is defended numerous times throughout the series, most prominently

“when a rich man offers [him] a better job as a corrections officer [and] he refuses.

This life is all he knows and in misty-eyed moments, he reflects on his missing son”

(Garcia 319). There are many different ways the character of the captain will utilize the autonomy inherent in these capable starships, but it always acts as a key element of the narrative and the conflict the crew inevitably faces; when acting on their own, these characters typically find they have very few allies they can rely on.

Where the exploration of society allows for more open interpretations from the audience, the exploration of travel tends to subscribe to more hard-and-fast rules; 41

autonomy is a key element for the true enjoyment of one’s freedom and the defense of that freedom. Compared to the prior elements discussed, the ideas of identity and family rest much more in the middle-ground of openness to interpretation, stricter than the contextual examples dealing with society and more relaxed than the hard meaning behind a ship that can transport someone across the vastness of space. This can be gathered from the early episodes of Farscape where each protagonist must not only come to terms with the fact that each is unfamiliar with the others, but that they must live without the recognizable culture their own race has created, as outsiders forced to adapt to alien surroundings.

The primary example of this idea of outsider/alien is found in the development of

Aeryn Sun, a soldier from a militaristic race of aliens, and “her slow evolution from no-nonsense butt-kicking military woman to… a more compassionate, caring butt- kicking woman” (Ryan). Aeyrn becomes capable of working with her newfound allies, but doesn’t forsake her past as a warrior and the conflict this creates with her more timid crewmates; she makes concessions regarding her hostile behavior but maintains her tactical mindset and physical prowess, keeping her initial identity in check but maintaining the disconnect she experiences with the other members of her crew.

These three aspects of the ensemble crew program, and science fiction television in general, each offer something unique in the theme or the motif conveyed to the audience and will ultimately reveal how to create content that embodies these elements, and the ultimate importance behind content of this type. 42

It may be helpful to provide a brief analysis of traditional sci-fi to accompany this exploration of ensemble crew programs in order to accentuate prominent differences in narrative content. For instance, I believe one major element that shaped sci-fi in general, and the ensemble crew program in particular, was the “sci-fi vs. spectacle” dynamic prominent in science fiction television during the mid-60s.

Lincoln Geraghty claims that spectacle shows like Lost in Space (1965) tended to favor visuals over stories or the portrayal of characters while “real” sci-fi shows like

Star Trek focused on story and drawing the parallels of the themes to real life; spectacle shows tended to be looked down on by viewers both within and without the genre as lowbrow and ultimately purposeless (47-49).

I would argue that this paved the way for character-centric sci-fi television which, ultimately led to ensemble crew programs. This dynamic is actually doubly important because spectacle shows did ensure that science fiction television would be accessible to a larger audience: “without the Allen [creator of Lost in Space] productions regularly featuring in 1960s television schedules, the genre may have receded into relative obscurity with only cerebral series like Star Trek attracting a determined but marginalized audience” (50).

To bolster this idea, one of the more obvious comparisons of spectacle and sci- fi can be gleaned by looking at the Star Trek episode “City on the Edge of Forever” against the Lost in Space episode “Visit to a Hostile Planet”. Both stories involve the crews of the ship visiting Earth at some point in the past, the ‘30s for the former and

‘40s for the latter, but what ensues are two entirely different narratives. Lost in Space 43

essentially acts as a showcase of the past, having the characters first piecing together where they are by interacting with antiquated props and surroundings and then playing off caricatured mindsets of the time, primarily the crippling paranoia of aliens and constant reference to the pulp sci-fi that was being produced at the time. Star Trek uses time travel more as a plot device and centers the story on Kirk and Spock having to correct the timeline after their crew’s interference has altered it; at the end, Kirk must choose between a woman he’s quickly been falling for or the future he knows, where the Federation exists as a beacon for adventure and progress.

What it boils down to, I believe, is that the spectacle of Lost in Space is very dependent on the visuals employed, how they’re used, and how this visit to the past ultimately influences the audience; the visit to the ‘40s ultimately outshines the crew’s adventures there. The plot for the Star Trek episode could have taken place in any time period, as long as the Enterprise does something to mess up the timeline and Kirk is given an ultimatum when attempting to correct it; the “spectacle” is much more focused on Kirk’s dilemma and how it influences his decision-making, ultimately revealing how much the Federation and his role as captain means to him.

With these kinds of stories gradually overshadowing those like Lost in Space, plot-centric programming eventually became the norm for sci-fi television and serves as a link between Firefly, and my own Sub Culture, to the larger sci-fi genre as it has become known in a contemporary understanding.

44

Society in Conflict

Society in Science Fiction

As previously mentioned, Geraghty believes that, within science fiction, the purpose of incorporating a society in conflict into a television program seems to be to allow for a general commentary on society in real life. This is done, according to

Geraghty, to include a blank slate onto which a series of societal issues can be explored over the course of multiple episodes; this society’s role in the narrative however, is seldom similar from show to show.

Society in the more traditional sci-fi program Space Rangers (1993), for example, has a certain redeemable quality about it while Lexx’s society is blatantly deplorable. In Space Rangers the dystopic society of Lexx is exchanged for one a bit more muted, but problematic nonetheless. Shoddy tools replace the weapons of destruction in Lexx, an indifferent bureaucracy replaces the rule of His Divine

Shadow, and the general difficulty of doing one’s job replaces the sense of pursuit that the outlaws aboard the Lexx must deal with.

This dichotomy acts as a key distinction between ensemble crew programs like

Lexx and more traditional sci-fi like Space Rangers; most sci-fi will have this type of conflicted society, but traditional sci-fi will portray the protagonists working from within the society, doing what they can to help solve its problems or make it more productive, while ensemble crew programs will portray the protagonists working 45

outside this society, attempting to undermine it because of a collective belief that it is beyond repair and must be torn down and rebuilt.

In short, the universe of Space Rangers offers a tapestry on which to paint the real issues of society the audience must deal with, but does so from the point of view of one still trying to function in that society. In Lexx, the characters have forsaken their society, going so far to utterly destroy it by the end of the first season.

In the case of Space Rangers, there was a desire for “gritty, visceral science fiction television… to play rock ‘n’ roll to Star Trek’s classical music”, but this would end up extending past the simple aesthetics of the show (Garcia 253). Just as rock ‘n’ roll stood for rebellion against traditional music while embracing key elements of traditional music, so too does Space Rangers represent a longing for the frontier outside of the restrictions and inefficiencies of society, as the characters embrace the idea of society and partake in work (policing) that ultimately serves to make it more secure. Lexx, and ensemble crew programs in general, tend to treat society more like the alien menace of ‘50s/’60s sci-fi films, enforcing a belief “that social action is of less use than individual nerve when we come to combat [this enemy]” (Reed 238).

When comparing ensemble crew programs to more traditional sci-fi, society and its conflicts are consistently represented as primary obstacles that the protagonists must deal with; how these societies are represented and how these protagonists decide to interact with them however, are vastly different between the two types of programs and bring conflicting perceptions of society to the surface of the narrative. Despite the ways the characters of ensemble crew programs or traditional sci-fi behave, this 46

greater, societal conflict is consistently addressed in science fiction and serves its function as a contextual representation of the greater issues drawing attention in real life society.

Society in the Ensemble Crew Program

Ensemble crew programs interact with society differently than traditional sci- fi. Yet, we can still link these interactions to prominent motifs within the genre.

The incorporation of factions within society, for example, is indicative of the sheer vastness of the universe in the realm of sci-fi and the space for minute differences to create vastly different characters, as witnessed in Farscape and the contrasts drawn between two soldier characters Aeryn and D’argo. Despite the fact they both favor loyalty and tactical prowess, the politics of their societies has the two constantly butting heads during their alliance and creates tension that influences how the entirety of the crew behaves.

A similar dynamic is established in the contemporary ensemble crew series Dark

Matter (2015), but looks at how factions more restricted to society still manage to leak into the lives of the crew and influence their decisions. The various corporations that represent society in the series will occasionally draw the crew into their disputes with one another and force a conflict among the crew as they debate the most beneficial outcome; because no one in the crew is directly invested in the profiting of a particular corporation however, these arguments are typically very logical and used primarily to advance the plot, not to provide insight into any particular character. 47

In Farscape, the threat of violence among these militaristic characters would often lead to more controversial actions being taken in the name of survival, the “aimless violence [of D’argo] in direct opposition to the ‘discriminating’ violence of the

Peacekeepers [Aeryn]”, at least during the first season of the program when the members of the crew were still relative strangers (Battis 36).

In addition to referencing the vastness of the alien universe, this comparison strictly defines the characters of the ensemble crew and connects with an audience when these controversial actions are being taken. Because the differences in character behavior are more minutely defined, their actions make more logical sense even if viewers may not agree with the reasoning behind them. With less direct inclusions of factions (like Dark Matter) there is still a reduction of “superficial layers of special effects and techno-babble associated with long-running franchises like Star Trek and instead [a focus] on what science fiction does best—offer a window on the human condition” (Geraghty 117). When the crew of Dark Matter debates which corporation to align themselves with after experiencing collective amnesia, they ultimately decide on the one that had reached out to them first, siding with familiarity in the face of a massive unknown. This is a common precaution among most people who similarly find themselves out of their depth.

In both examples, the society in conflict draws on prominent motifs within the realms of sci-fi to add to the narrative centered on the ensemble crew. Much like these specific programs, society’s portrayal itself acts as a kind of lens through which 48

aspects of both the society and the general elements of sci-fi can be examined in a way unaffected by the context under which they appear.

Expansive travel

The Role of the “Boat” in Sci-fi

Similar to the role of society in sci-fi programs, a number of comparisons regarding the role of expansive travel can be drawn. Specifically, one should not overlook the importance placed on the primary vessel of travel that allows for the exploration of the vast, alien universe and generates the narrative of the show.

The most famous example of such a vessel in traditional sci-fi would probably be the TARDIS from Doctor Who (1963); in order to get a more complete analysis of the TARDIS, I will be looking at both a serial from 1964, “The Edge of Destruction”, and an episode from 2011, “The Doctor’s Wife”. In both examples, the relationship between the TARDIS and the Doctor is the focal point of the story, and it acts as a prominent example of the relationship between a captain and his ship in sci-fi television. “The Edge of Destruction” acts as the first glimpse into the actual sentience of the TARDIS and is accompanied by a plot permeated with paranoia and accusations as the Doctor and his companions attempt to decipher the TARDIS’s unorthodox warning system; the entire atmosphere of the story is a prime example of rapid development of technology occurring during the ‘60s and the fear that it would ultimately lead to danger were mankind not to remain vigilant. 49

With “The Doctor’s Wife” however, an enormous leap is made for the

TARDIS as its life essence is transferred from the machine itself and into the body of a woman; what ensues is essentially a romp where the Doctor and the TARDIS must race against a ticking clock to rescue the Doctor’s companions from a malevolent entity that has been feeding off the life force of TARDISs for millennia. The relationship portrayed in this episode between the Doctor and the TARDIS is very different from that portrayed fifty years ago and has come to represent contemporary sci-fi as well as ensemble crew programs; not only is a partnership established between humanity (represented by the Doctor), and technology (represented by his

TARDIS) but so too is there a deeper, emotional connection between the captain (the

Doctor), and the “boat” (his “wife”).

Where traditional sci-fi will have characters more trusting of technology, they tend to interact with it indifferently. Ensemble crew programs however, like the contemporary example of Doctor Who, portray the ship less like a piece of technology or equipment, even going so far as to establish relationships between it and the actual characters of the narrative.

The gradual embrace of technology over the last few decades, in both the real world and the realm of fiction, has been a recurring theme in sci-fi, but the bond between captain and ship has also come to heavily define ensemble crew programs.

Returning to Firefly, Tim Minear has referred to the show as “the story of [Mal’s] love affair with the ship and what that ship means to him… this whole story’s been about that particular relationship” (Out of Gas Commentary). While Firefly acts as a 50

prominent example of this relationship, it holds true to different degrees for other ensemble crew programs because of both the freedom of travel the vessel comes to represent as well as the shelter it provides, under which the crew is able to build a way of life that the greater society, their enemy, cannot permeate.

How these vessels are physically represented on screen is just as important as their metaphorical representation, and the TARDIS once again acts as an important example because “in a typically quirky British move [it is] disguised as a police telephone box” (Creeber 28). This aesthetic acts predominantly to simplify the narrative, explaining away how the Doctor is able to traverse England without his ship coming under any scrutiny. But it also serves to simplify the premise of the show itself; the audience is instantly made aware of the importance of first impressions, the quirkiness of the Doctor that can quickly be gleaned from the presentation of his ship, and, eventually, the evil behind visually appalling races such as the mechanical, lumbering Daleks or the uniform, expressionless Cybermen.

In the case of Firefly however, the visual presentation doesn’t come to represent the show itself, but in a sense does the opposite, portraying Serenity as just another character. Whedon wanted to make it stand apart from other ships seen in science fiction, he “wanted everything to be completely exposed… to know that they were just rigging this thing together… and that it barely worked” (The 10th Character).

Such a distinction is what separates the vessel of the ensemble crew from the vessel of traditional sci-fi; where the TARDIS, outside “The Doctor’s Wife”, came to represent more general terms both in theme (a growing comfort of expanding 51

technology) and narrative (the simplified, aesthetic portrayal of numerous elements of the show), Serenity more specifically tackled a relationship (that between a captain and his ship) and character (the feel of the ship itself and how it could autonomously influence the program’s narrative). Either way, the physical presentation of the vessel is important when portraying the purpose behind it, whether that be establishing audience interpretations of the unfamiliar sights and styles of the program, or alluding to the dynamic of the ship and the narrative of the program.

Travel and its Role in the Ensemble Crew Program

Just as society was frequently expanded upon in ensemble crew programs to incorporate other motifs of the sci-fi genre, expansive travel is often used as a type of lens that reveals a plethora of different aspects of science fiction.

Starhunter tended to tackle multiple elements when exploring the role of travel in the show; two dominant examples were work and family. As captain of his ship,

Dante was able to find work as a bounty hunter and maintain the ability to pursue his contracts wherever they went, his ship allowed him to both take and follow through with the work he wanted to do; the constant movement of his ship also provided him with the scope he needed to search for his kidnapped son, it maintained his hope despite the fact that he had no leads and years had passed since they’d last been together. In effect, this travel generates a sense of vastness within the universe of the show, not necessarily through the amount of people or the intricacies of the politics, but by positing how immense the task of finding one person would be and, more 52

subtly, alluding to the understaffed police forces and the necessity for bounty hunters to help wrangle criminals.

This holds true for modern ensemble crew programs as well, specifically Other

Space (2015) and what the ability to travel means for its crew. Lost in some distant corner of the universe, the protagonists use their ability to travel in an attempt to get home, the length of their path once again highlighting the vastness of this sci-fi universe, but they also place a sense of security within their ship and its ability to retreat from potentially life-threatening situations, hinting at the sense of danger in the unknown universe, or in this case the utterly bizarre.

Closely linked to both the scope of the universe and one’s ability to travel in it is the danger that stems from science fiction’s role as a source of precautionary tales on a larger scale, “what happens to bad little girls and boys here can become what happens to foolhardy or incautious or prodigal cultures” (Reed 235). Whether a lost child in the enormous universe or a lost crew, ensemble crew programs have continually tied the potential to travel on a large scale and its implicit freedom back to the dangers that come with that ability and the seemingly endless universe that accompanies it. Paired with this sort of impending danger is a developing shift in the tone of many of these shows.

Nowadays “reality is constructed in such a way that… it is possible for the series to be viewed as a contemporary drama rather than traditional science fiction television associated with space operas” (Geraghty 119). With Starhunter, for example, there are countless instances of calculated camera movements, wide frames 53

showing off the sets of the ships, and dramatic lighting that paints the interiors in shadow; Other Space however, is shot much more like, not necessarily a drama, but a single camera sitcom, with mockumentary-esque camera movements, tighter shots to compliment the quicker editing, and functional lighting that keeps focus on dialogue and not on set pieces. In this instance, “expansive travel” in an “ensemble program” not only touched on a number of science fiction motifs, but reveals how the visual portrayal of the show has developed to compliment the sense of danger that accompanies the freedom this degree of travel has come to represent.

Alienation

Identity and the “Other”

After analyzing both the issues of society in science fiction television and how closely these protagonists adhere to the ideals expansive travel comes to represent for them, it becomes logical that identity would be the final aspect to pinpoint how certain characters behave and why it influences the larger narrative.

Perhaps the most prominent commentary on the topic of identity in sci-fi is expressed through the Borg and the threat they pose in Star Trek: Voyager (1995).

Driven to “assimilate” other species in an attempt to create the perfect race, the Borg constantly harass the crew of Voyager, who quickly come to see assimilation as one of the most substantial threats they would face; this fear stems from the assault on autonomy that assimilation (converting one into a Borg and linking them to the hive mind) insinuates. 54

The reason for this fear however, is never really established. The Borg are physically portrayed as appalling and they act ruthlessly, but they are never portrayed as wrong; in fact, the episode “Scorpion” centers around the crew of Voyager working with them toward a common goal, the pacification of an aggressive species. It must be assumed therefore, that the particular loathing the crew have for the Borg must come from their uncertainty regarding this “species” and the unknowns surrounding where they’re from and how they came about, something that remains a mystery to the crew and solidifies the Borg as one of the few purely villainous races of the Star Trek universe.

Comparatively, there is the extremely scaled down, but ultimately similar, relationship between Zev and Kai during their adventures aboard Lexx. Throughout the series, Zev develops an interest in Kai that he gradually acknowledges but cannot return because he is a reanimated body and “the dead don’t feel” (Donovan). In this example, the alien, emotionless identity assumed by Kai does not incite fear. Instead, it incites attraction, both emotional and sexual. Zev does not wish to combat this deviation in her perception of identity, but to embrace it, become familiar with it because she finds it unusual, enticing. Unlike traditional sci-fi, where the protagonists have a built-in identity enforced by others working alongside them and challenge the opposing, unknown identity, members of ensemble crews have little sense of identity, typically as outcasts of society surrounded by other misfits, and are open to others regardless of how imposing they may seem. 55

The aversion to the Borg in Star Trek: Voyager can be suggestive of not only a fear of the unknown, but a “fear of ‘the other’… a fear of assimilation into the ‘Borg’ collective” and what that means in relation to the starship Voyager (Creeber 27).

While the mystery of the Borg keeps the crew doubtful of any potential redemption, it’s the incompatibility of the Borg that makes them so revolting, their inability to compromise; the crew of Voyager, just like the crew of the Enterprise, is extremely loyal to the Federation, and the “other” would force them to forsake these ideals that they’ve held for their entire lives and have brought them assuredness and happiness.

The threat of the other acts as a manifestation of one’s loss of integrity and apparent faithlessness. Although Zev has a much less structured set of ideals, the same could be said about her infatuation with Kai, but Lexx is a very different show from

Star Trek: Voyager, one where people “made decisions not based on the greater good or even a moral compass but simply sniffed out adventures based on their own dysfunctional libidos or pervasive greed” (Garcia 139-140). Thus, neither the unknown inherent in Kai’s undead status nor the sacrifice of what ideals Zev maintains influence her decision to pursue Kai romantically. Her indifference to this, though jarring at first, gradually endears her to the audience and, at some points, even reflects the absurdity of the general narrative that the show has become known for.

This decision is portrayed in a positive light even though traditional examples of sci-fi, like Star Trek: Voyager, see similar acts result in “assimilation”, widely considered a fate worse than death. The looser interpretation of opposing ideals and a more general acceptance of the “other” is a staple in ensemble crew programs, where 56

one’s ideals are typically less structured to begin with, and lead to more ambiguous, thought-provoking character reactions and messages behind what they ultimately mean.

The “Outsider” and Family

Like the “other” and their infringement into the individual lives of the protagonists of sci-fi television, the “outsider” acts as a constant presence on the fringe of society in general, or rather the series of relationships among the protagonists of the narrative. This character will typically have a profound effect on those around him and, like the other, this effect materializes with vastly different reactions depending on the type of program.

In the sci-fi cartoon Rick and Morty (2013), for example, the eponymous protagonists effectively become outsiders when they accidentally destroy their universe and must assume the roles of themselves in a parallel existence. Though the event doesn’t appear to influence the continuity of the general show, it is referenced once episodes later when Morty tells his sister, Summer, exactly what happened and what it meant to him as she is going through an existential crisis: “I'm better than your brother. I'm a version of your brother you can trust when he says ‘Don't run.’ Nobody exists on purpose, nobody belongs anywhere, everybody's gonna die. Come watch

TV.” (Kauffman). From this point on, Summer gradually becomes more accepting of

Morty and Rick, and eventually accompanies them on their adventures; an “outsider” introduced a new perception of the universe to Summer and, though that perception is crushingly depressing, she becomes a more intriguing character for it. In ensemble 57

crew programs, the outsider is typically more noticeable, though not necessarily an alien, and what they come to offer is more optimistic; in both instances, what they offer is enlightening for the characters and usually the audience.

A great example of this type of outsider is found in Farscape, where he is human, but obviously out of place aboard a ship of odd-looking, colorful aliens. This character, Crichton, acts as the glue holding this group of misfits together, convincing them that they must work together if they have any hope to survive in this universe; slowly, they begin acting less like the fugitives they were and more like a family that is able to withstand the pressures of the outside forces acting against them. The benevolent outsider has strengthened the bonds between the core group of protagonists by inviting a different view of the world and making it appealing, in this case by offering the promise of survival and in the case of Rick and Morty through the promise acceptance; unlike Rick and Morty however, the viewpoint also promises hope, not crippling despair.

The “benevolent outsider” character appears to exist within most ensemble crew programs and seems to stem from the dynamic of the artificial family created between the outsider and the other protagonists. This helps stabilize tension aboard the ship, bonding the outsider to the others in a way that is both more agreeable and more natural among those involved than the conflicts that would ensue were these characters remain untrusting of one another.

Just as “horror is a matter of the past—our fear of it and of becoming part of it”, strong emotion can be drawn up from the sci-fi element, and “fear of the future is 58

at the core of [much] science-fiction” (Kaminsky 130-131). This strong emotion is key in creating characters the audience can connect with, who rightfully share their fear of the future, and creating a story that stands out from the feel-good atmosphere that a larger portion of television in general has come to represent.

Compared to this approach however, is the example of Farscape where the volatile creation of a family replaces the more passive existence of one in a relatively stagnant atmosphere, and the hope this symbolizes for the future replaces the fear that science fiction thrives on. Aboard their ship, “what was merely an interim refuge…becomes… a new home for all of the crew. It is in this common home that they begin to see each other as a family” (Conejos). The characters’ hope and their perseverance may strike a chord with the audience, but there also exists a disconnect because any apprehension is either muted or misattributed to the immediate issues surrounding the plot of the episode/arc; the future is not as ominous as science fiction or the audience perceive it to be and this makes it difficult to connect to these characters who act in a science fiction universe.

With the development of the artificial family commonly seen in ensemble crew programs, there is plenty of room for growing pains and narratives centering around how they are dealt with, but for the most part, this family will come to represent hope in the face of all else that is threatening the protagonists’ existence, a hope in the future that undermines the precautionary nature of science fiction as it deals with the future. 59

Though not traditional sci-fi in the strictest sense, programs like Rick and

Morty portray a much more pessimistic view of the future that translates not only into a more loyal representation of science fiction, but a more familiar representation of the characters who feel a similar type of fear as the audience and deal with it in ultimately the same way. This is the one element analyzed where I believe traditional science fiction is stronger than the ensemble crew program.

Conclusion

By outlining the criteria that create sci-fi ensemble crew shows and comparing them against the motifs that comprise traditional science fiction television, I hope to establish creative elements for my own ensemble sci-fi pilot. Most importantly, I have realized this: though the elements of the ensemble crew programs are more specialized in the type of content they portray, these shows must link that specialization back to broader motifs within the sci-fi genre. Ensemble crew programs must use their particular approach much more as a lens than an entirely independent type of show. I have identified the key types of these approaches in summary.

An analysis of the societies found through science fiction television reveals that regardless of the specific type of program, a general sense of unrest exists in order to act as a slate against which particular societal issues can be presented to the audience and explored in the context of the narrative. Protagonists can work either within or outside this society in attempts to solve these problems, but ensemble crew shows will much more likely than not have their characters operating outside the realm of the greater established society. This usually occurs because ensemble crews operate 60

within a “bubble” society on the fringe of its larger counterpart, composed of each person who has a stake on the ship; this society is typically more conflictive and contains more of a family dynamic, but it will satiate the protagonists’ desire for extensive human contact and allow them to function against the major society they view as dangerous.

For most, if not all, ensemble crew programs, society itself will transcend its typical role as the tabula rasa for social commentary and directly influence aspects of the protagonists’ behaviors or elaborate on elements of human interaction in general.

Society acts as such an antagonistic force in these shows that the crew is almost never able to treat it with the same indifference that those actually working from within it can; it creates enormous conflict for them and it is through this conflict that the characters are able to develop, and through this evolution that the audience can glean a number of different insights about who they are and the ways they behave.

I believe that a society in conflict is key to ensemble crew programs, and science fiction in general, but it is usually through the ensemble crew program specifically that the most potential for meaningful development is found; society’s issue with the crew in particular provides a substantial source of conflict that simultaneously acts as a primary point for narrative tension and a point against which the arc of the protagonists can be consistently measured.

What the relationship between a man and his “boat” can come to represent and how it can be complimented by the portrayal of danger in the tremendous universe has definite potential for a compelling narrative. An analysis of the role of travel in 61

science fiction television reveals that the wide scope of the universe that becomes available holds major importance over the narrative of the program as well as the tone and the aesthetics incorporated into the visual element. I believe the vessel itself and its relationship with its captain are key to this narrative and the ideals this captain holds, whether they center on adventure into the unknown or freedom in the “frontier” of space, are often shaped by what expansive travel represents. The “boat” can even come to symbolize many different aspects important to the story but, as is more likely with ensemble crew programs, this symbolism will replace more general concepts of the premise or theme with those of character and relationships.

In ensemble crew programs specifically, the immense scope of travel not only represents the vastness of the alien universe, but a sense of danger inherent in it that stems from being unable to obtain what is being sought because of the relative insignificance of the crew in the face of such awesome emptiness. This danger is beginning to manifest in the visual elements of science fiction television and, whether drama or single-cam sitcom, seems to be replacing the more grandiose style of the space opera with a more grounded alternative focusing on the story instead of “look” of the show. I believe expansive travel is another aspect key to science fiction narratives and that ensemble crew programs in particular approach it in a more personal, and ultimately more fulfilling, way.

The unusual portrayals of the “other” and the “outsider” in science fiction narratives are key aspects of the stories’ messages and can vary wildly when looking specifically at ensemble crew programs. Where the other is concerned, there appears 62

to be a significant focus on the unknown and the potential threat held against what the protagonist(s) have come to accept as a standard in life; in ensemble crew programs however, this threat is quickly replaced by the promise of companionship since members of the crew will typically be unable to maintain the standards by which they follow their lives, the basis for autonomous identity. This leads to the development of unlikely relationships throughout ensemble crew programs that come to reshape how

“attacks” on identity are portrayed and establish the “other” as a constant player in the events of the greater elements of the story, not just the particular episodes where the exploration of identity acts as a one-off theme. With the “outsider” to the family dynamic of the protagonists, for the first time I found the usual approach of the ensemble crew program to be lacking.

In all sci-fi, the outsider’s message typically addresses the future and how best to approach it; traditional sci-fi regards it with fear and caution, harkening back to the earlier days of the genre and its role as precautionary tales of technology; ensemble crew programs regard it with hope and the artificial family’s need to stick together for the sake of everyone involved. I believe this approach both deviates from a core theme of the sci-fi genre and narrows the emotional range many stories in the genre may pursue; with the crew constantly in this mindset, the tension becomes slightly, though irreversibly, slackened. I believe the concept of the other, and even the artificial family, is given a more personal, unique spin by ensemble crew shows, but when handling the “outsider” to this family there’s simply too much emphasis placed on 63

their role in explaining the positives of why the family should stay together, and not enough on exploring darker, more controversial arguments.

Using an approach that recognizes these genre motifs, and examples that have been explored, will be key in my own creative process to the structuring of my own pilot. Following a similar path will ensure that I capture the aspects of the ensemble crew program that have been shown to connect more substantially to an audience, without forsaking the aspects of science fiction itself and the themes key to its establishment and development into what it’s become known for today.

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The Alternate History Twist

Fundamentals of Alternate History

The TV Tropes database defines alternate history as any type of scenario “set in a world where one or more historical events unfolded differently than they did in the real world… [alternate history stories] typically describe a Present Day world vastly changed by the difference, or follow another major historical event in light of the change”. There are countless different rationalizations for what could change these particular events but the general concept, the belief that these events can change, has been explored for centuries. One of the earliest examples is the Roman historian Livy, who wrote a treatise (Ab Urbe Condita, book 9, chapters 17-19) about what would have happened if Alexander the Great had invaded Western Europe rather than the

Mideast, though it took until around the 1960s and the “tumultuous century rich in

‘what if’ opportunities” for this type of thinking to really garner much attention (TV

Tropes). A more contemporary example is Over the Top (2014), a collection of alternate WWI histories by Peter Tsouras and Spencer Jones, which will be alluded to throughout this analysis. Paired with this retrospective outlook is an interest from the field of science fiction, where “new authors have emerged and… other areas of fantasy writing, such as space exploration, seem less exotic now” (Squitieri). These perceptions from the purely historical front and fictional front offer unique ways to study the past, simply entertain, or, in what I would consider the more successful instances, do both. 65

One key distinction to make regarding alternate history, whether used for academic or entertainment purposes, is the impossibility of it filling the role of true fiction. All fiction maintains a sense of probability. For instance, it is logical to assume the events of Forrest Gump (1994) could have actually transpired the way depicted, especially given all the historical allusions presented in the narrative. Alternate history on the other hand is, by definition, contrary to fact; there is proof, usually abundantly so, that the events in these scenarios did not occur the way they are portrayed. It is for this reason that alternate history will be used synonymously with “counterfactual” throughout this section of the thesis. Although in the field, counterfactual tends to imply a focus on the particular event that changed history over the effects it creates, it still includes each element that comes to define alternate history. For example, Forrest

Gump, sometimes mistaken for a counterfactual narrative, is instead purely fictional.

In the film, Forrest interacts with a number of historical figures, including three presidents, but they never deviate from the nature the audience knows them for,

Forrest “does not suggest any ideas or create any events that could not be found in a history textbook. The film just uses Forrest’s fortunate timing as a charming trope”

(McCourt). Were the film to actually incorporate alternate history, these historical figures would be shaped by Forrest’s interactions with them; his meeting with

President Kennedy, for example, might have sent him on a tangent that would have altered his approach to the Cuban Missile Crisis. Instead, these figures’ interactions with Forrest and the “metacommentary” behind them act as the sole focus of their role in the narrative. 66

The Amazon series Man in the High Castle (2015), a true work of alternate history, has its historical figures influenced by the counterfactual events occurring.

The pilot episode (1.01) reveals, for example, that Hitler is no longer the militaristic imperialist true history remembers him as, but a proponent of the continuing peace with Germany’s Japanese allies. This stems from the prolonged conflict this version of

WWII brought with it (ending in 1948 instead of 1945) and the satiation of Hitler’s fundamental war aims (Man in the High Castle 2015). Comparing this counterfactual

Hitler to the one from factual history influences audience perception in two ways: looking at the narrative itself, it supplies a sense of irony because the audience is aware of how evil Hitler is despite the benevolence he seems to show his followers.

Looking at history and our world outside the narrative, it offers insight into just how aggressive the other heads of the Nazi Party were as the audience watches them orchestrate Hitler’s assassination so they can reignite the war; the audience learns something, through a counterfactual scenario, that holds true in the real world. When utilized this way, historical figures in counterfactual narratives can offer a unique lens to analyze both history itself, and elements of a story that would otherwise be impossible to convey.

The Point of Divergence

Among the most important elements of alternate history, in both academics and narrative, is the Point of Divergence (PoD), or the event that occurs differently from actual history and creates the world in the alternate history (TV Tropes). From that instance, what is analyzed is a “world vastly changed by the difference, or… 67

another major historical event [significantly altered] in light of the change” (TV

Tropes). Either way, the PoD sets the stage for the type of research/story being posited, and there is no shortage of PoDs that are open to convincing interpretations on behalf of either kind of writer. In Peter Tsouras’s alternate retelling of Germany’s mobilization plan in WWI for example, the PoD rests with the Kaiser’s Chief of

General Staff, Helmuth von Moltke and the stroke he suffered in 1914, minor in reality but fatal in this counterfactual history. With von Moltke, a proponent of mobilization against France, removed, Kaiser Wilhelm II could have mobilized against Russia instead, defeating them before the rest of the Entente could counterattack, establishing a peace treaty after only brief hostilities, and ensuring

Germany did not succumb to the ideology of the Nazi Party. With the (possible) death of one man, all of WWII and most of WWI could have been erased from history and replaced with a rather minor confrontation limited to Eastern Europe, but no one was able to contradict von Moltke, “and upon that silence history took the long and ruinous path” (Jones 19). With the PoD (the death) established, deviations can be made in this world following the logic of the newly unfolding events; the PoD itself however, must find logic in actual history (Moltke’s minor stroke), which is why many PoDs deal with a singular, important man, either focusing on medical complications or assassination. There are instances of PoDs occurring on a grander scale but much more care must be taken to ensure their rationalization; the more components making up the PoD, the more complicated it is to do this. If the PoD can be accepted as true, 68

all else becomes rationalized, but the PoD must stay on the side of counterfactual, not fictional.

The point of divergence is not only the moment in which reality transitions to the counterfactual, but the moment that will come to define the following speculation and define how this particular point in history was handled; it requires an approach on multiple fronts, where “what is offered are speculations… judged by their creativity operating under the constraints of professional expertise” (Bunzl 2). What is being analyzed must be plausible in the realm of reality and be an instance that carries stakes, a point where the general population is invested in the way events play out (it is for this reason that many PoDs deal with the 1930s, and have repercussions that influence WWII). The plausibility of such an event occurring differently will usually be supported in one way or another through factual evidence. Returning to the WWI example surrounding Chief of General Staff von Moltke, the counterfactual stroke that led to his premature death was influenced by “the belief of his wife that [a] confrontation with the Kaiser and his chief ministers had indeed caused a minor stroke in her husband… he was never the same man” (Jones 18). Though not an overwhelmingly convincing piece of historical evidence, there is enough support to surmise that the stresses of generating such a mobilization plan as the Germans had could so impact the health of those seeing it through and set off a chain of events that would lead to this alternate history. Combined with an outcome of the First World

War erasing all motivation for WWII, this is a scenario of counterfactual history that 69

satisfies both grounded plausibility and a measure of creativity in the ways the world would be shaped by a different result to a key event.

Plausible counterfactual motives can be drawn from a great number of events throughout history, which allows almost any major occurrence to impact alternate history. For example, there are a series of counterfactuals dealing with WWI in which the Battle of Jutland ends in a resounding British victory (instead of a stalemate) but all that changes is a delay in the continuation of unrestricted submarine warfare (Jones

121), the Battle of the Somme is more strategically handled on behalf of the British but the war is only shortened a few months (168), and the role of British tanks is more emphasized but, again, the war is only shortened by a few months (187). Alongside this are a vast majority of scenarios, including Man in the High Castle, which center around WWII and the results of the devastating conflict. This is, in part, because so many people were heavily invested in the way this string of events unfolded, and it is still relatively recent in history; what would happen if the Axis Powers won was a very real contemplation to many. Another major reason for WWII’s popularity is the starkness of the results of Axis victory. Had the Allies failed to counter this threat, the world would be very different than the one of reality; fascism would likely replace democracy on a global scale and, as seen in Man in the High Castle, oppression would be regarded with a sense of normalcy even in America.

WWII is essentially a powder keg in history where any seemingly miniscule change could have flipped reality on its head and created a world utterly foreign to the one inhabited today; each of these miniscule changes could also create a unique 70

balance of power that any other PoD would be unable to replicate. Because WWII has so much potential for so many strikingly different alternate histories, it was, and will likely remain, the most popular source to draw counterfactual history from. The starkness of these alternate scenarios however, is not the only element that determines their worth. I believe that an event like WWI, where the plausibility of numerous

PoDs exists, is rich in potential alternate histories; some digging must simply be done in order to ascertain what drives the purpose of these particular counterfactuals.

Projectability

The acceptance of the Point of Divergence as possible will typically lead to all proceeding events being interpreted as possible as well since, in a counterfactual universe, no factual information can be used as evidence. This has come to define alternate history and is the reason why the effects of alternate history, such as Hitler defending the peace between Germany and Japan in Man in the High Castle, can be somewhat more outlandish while the PoD itself cannot. Consistency throughout the alternate scenario “seems like an eminently plausible condition of adequacy, but notice that this is so only assuming that those generalizations have a property that philosophers call ‘projectability’”, and projectability typically only manifests through hard fact or scientific law (Bunzl 4).

Because hard fact and scientific law seldom create a complete world, factual or counterfactual, on their own, they must be complemented by other elements unable to be supported by such hard-and-fast rules, such as personal biases and artistic license.

As these more creative elements compound on one another, it’s natural for them to 71

lead to a world entirely unpredictable when looking at the PoD isolated from any of the effects it’s created.

In a rather extreme example, the lasting effects of Axis victory for The Onion, a satirical news source, leads to a world where there exists a television show portraying a fictionalized fall of the Third Reich: “’Imagine, if you will, a world in which Hitler's glorious master plan had instead ended in ignominious failure, and the Allies had somehow emerged the victors,’ the show's creator, Leonhardt Riefenstahl, said during an appearance on Entertainment Heute Nacht”. The extent the article goes to satirize

Americans’ growing interest in alternate history leaves no room for projectability and instead draws direct parallels to the real world for comedy’s sake; none of the allusions are logically sound because the focus lies in an emotional reaction from the audience.

On the other end of the spectrum are a vast majority of academic counterfactuals that remain as close as possible to projectability, only deviating when absolutely necessary for the sake of their general argument; even with the von Moltke counterfactual, it is entirely probable to suggest WWII would be avoided because the prolonged German defeat during WWI was such a major component of the militarization occurring in the 1930s.

Between strict projectability and an entire lack thereof, there is Man in the High

Castle, balancing creative leaps in the trajectory of a counterfactual past with plausibility and grounded estimations. For the remainder of this analysis, I will refer to the proceeding effects of the PoD as “world-building” both because they are an 72

integral aspect of the development of alternate history and because they consistently require the author to construct an entirely new universe based on events occurring in a way utterly different from reality.

World Building

Apart from strengthening the plausibility established at the Point of

Divergence through some degree of projectability, World Building can also act as a continuation of the fundamental argument behind the selection of the particular event being analyzed. Looking back at The Onion example, a direct parallel to actual history and the bombing of Japan is drawn to emphasize the satirical nature of the article: the show has “much of the budget going toward recreating the cities of Washington, D.C. and New York exactly as they would have appeared before the famous tide- turning Luftwaffe strike of 1951”. The inclusion of this parallel simultaneously increases the absurdity of the satire by somewhat directly referencing reality, as well as the believability of the narrative because of the logical inclusion of such specific facts like the date and locations of the strikes; in both cases the purpose of the article is strengthened by this type of World Building.

When World Building remains unaddressed, or less so than the audience would like, the result is typically an unconvincing argument that can leave the audience unsatisfied with the conclusions being drawn. This is especially true for counterfactual narratives, instances of alternate history where the audience will tend to be more emotionally invested in the world being created. With Man in the High Castle, for example, TIME reporter Daniel D’Addario believes “the lack of information about the 73

most interesting aspect of High Castle, its bizarre geopolitical setting, isn’t tantalizing” and the program hasn’t truly revealed what the “world is really like and how it got that way”. Not only does this universe appear generally underdeveloped, but I would argue there also appears to be a plethora of historical information about the politics of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan that could prove relevant to reality but goes largely ignored in the context of the story.

Whether through the lens of narrative or academics, the World Building of a counterfactual history can provide plenty of insight with the potential of keeping the audience invested and bolstering the initial argument the writer is attempting to make through their analysis.

It should be noted before moving on that not all alternate histories are locked into a singular path that must be taken as World Building progresses; the process is one that can shift from defending a certain argument to another depending on exactly how a world is portrayed. A very clear instance of this can be witnessed by comparing

Philip K. Dick’s novel Man in the High Castle (1962) to the television adaptation. In the program, there exists a very distinct line between heroes and villains on the grounds of how racism is constructed; racists, no matter their nationality, are the antagonists while the protagonists never act in any way to suggest they perceive themselves as superior.

In the novel, a world is built wherein racism has become a norm in life and characters, both good and bad, allow it to impact their thought process and personal ideology; “the racism in Dick's alternate universe isn't alien. It's homey.” (Berlatsky). 74

Given two very similar interpretations of the same core concept, World Building has shaped two very different outcomes with opposing perceptions the audience is to experience, one with Americans acting against the methodology of the Nazi Party and one quietly embracing it.

It is also worth noting that the parallels in alternate history World Building almost only pop up in the narrative realm. World Building within academics is necessary but, as previously mentioned, much more limited to projectability; therefore, elements like the structure of racism tend to be largely ignored out of necessity to avoid purely creative influence. More statistical claims like the formation of the armies in Tsouras’ alternate Brusilov Offensive can be made in this vein (Jones 136-

138), but when it comes to more emotionally-based claims, such as the effects of racism, there is little academic counterfactuals will usually put forth. This almost always leads to one interpretation of academic counterfactuals being made and the

World Building occurring within it being widely accepted. The projectability supporting this counterfactual can only be drawn one way when incorporating unbiased facts; there is a lack of other elements that could influence the author’s academic decisions.

Alternate History in Narrative

Prior Examples

I have repeatedly referenced the program, Man in the High Castle, and will continue to rely on it heavily throughout this analysis because it is the sole instance of 75

a primarily counterfactual, narrative television series, without overt connections to other genres like sci-fi or anthology. It is the product of Amazon Studios’ strategy to produce “programs that may be controversial, hoping to create shows that spark conversation and generate loyal followings”; “it’s a daring, and expensive, gambit for the company” but will provide the first true insight into how popular the topic of alternate history is to a general TV audience (Greene). This is something television has only been able to contemplate until very recently because of enormous production costs and the doubt that such an obscure concept could translate to an episodic, visual medium. Man in the High Castle creator Frank Spotnitz has even said himself

“television has changed so radically that you really couldn’t have found a broadcaster who would have done a show like this even ten years ago”. I’m hoping the program’s, and even the concept’s, ingenuity has provided both contemporary and entertaining models of the analysis of alternate history, and will reveal what elements work and what elements fail when writing a television series set specifically in a counterfactual universe so I can incorporate these findings into my own script.

Outside of television, there exists a plethora of counterfactual literature that began with the rise of alternate history’s popularity 50 years ago and has maintained a sizable audience ever since. This is most clearly witnessed with Philip K Dick’s Man in the High Castle (1962) being the source of inspiration for the show released just this year. A number of differences in thematic material are present, however, between novel and visual adaptation. 76

Primarily, in the show the protagonists actively work against the fascist system as it actively oppresses them, there is a somewhat traditional sense of good versus evil; in the original, this same system is more readily accepted by the people and goes by largely unnoticed, “the frightening thing isn't the dystopia… it's that the dystopia is so familiar it doesn't really feel dystopian at all” (Berlatsky). Though the fundamental concept of the narrative remains intact across media, there is an enormously different presentation of the proceeding events: the show claims the Americans would be beaten but still fight back against their oppressors even decades later, the book claims all hope is extinguished because the Americans not only tolerate, but eventually embrace their oppressors.

On a more technical storytelling level, there are also the conclusions of alternate history narratives that must be sorted out, which is extremely important in the literary world. With another counterfactual retelling of WWII, Plot against America (2004), the “details are chillingly and realistically rendered on the page, [but author Philip

Roth] cannot quite figure out how to resolve his situation and where to go with it”

(Schwartzburg). Television, for better or worse, seldom runs into this problem because of its episodic nature; conclusions are necessary for episodes and seasonal arcs but writers can be given years to figure out a conclusion for the series as a whole, provided they receive warning of the programs discontinuation.

These two aspects of counterfactual literature demand study into how they operate in the professional world, but the focus of this thesis is on television and, for that 77

reason, Amazon’s Man in the High Castle will remain my primary source for the narrative elements of alternate history.

Historical Staples

One element that the vast majority of counterfactual narratives share are references to key people or events that have come to define reality, but fulfill different, often opposing, roles in the alternate history. To best convey how this occurs, I will allude once more to Forrest Gump and its role as a fictional work as opposed to counterfactual work. As previously stated, the historically relevant events of Forrest

Gump come to transpire exactly as they had in reality even though, as the audience is shown, they are usually instigated by Forrest’s meddling. Elvis Presley’s hip-swivel, for example, still takes the 50s by storm even though it is revealed to be invented by

Forrest. This is an instance of the distinction between counterfactual and fictional storytelling because the historical staple, Elvis showcasing the dance move on live television, does not alter anything after the fact despite what the audience has learned about its conception; neither is Forrest’s influence a PoD because there is no actual divergence from reality.

Were Forrest Gump a work of true alternate history, this revelation would not only carry physical effects through the rest of the narrative, but would have symbolic connotations when compared to the way events actually occurred. Such is the way with Man in the High Castle and the portrayal of an infamous assassination attempt in the early 1960s. In the episode “Revelations” (1.04) the crown prince of Imperial

Japan is shot while visiting the United States, bearing striking resemblances to the 78

Kennedy assassination, from the era, to the assassin’s use of a sniper rifle and a tall building, to the impact of the event on the politician’s wife. Strictly in the realm of the narrative, the event shakes a world that is already in a very delicate balance of power; looking outside the narrative as a member of the audience, the allusion to President

Kennedy’s death acts as a strikingly relevant indicator of how high the stakes are in this universe and how tumultuous the political atmosphere is for the world at large.

Incorporating historical staples in the same vein as Man in the High Castle not only makes it easier to determine if a story is true alternate history, it allows the story to be told in a way that any other narrative would have great difficulty doing. Alluding to true history but then placing different symbolic implications behind that allusion invokes a much more genuine response from the audience without requiring the plot to follow any predetermined course of action. This is one of the greatest strengths of the utilization of historical staples in alternate history and one of the reasons these narratives have such great potential when it comes to effective, untraditional storytelling.

Unfortunately, there are few clear instances of historical staples being used this way outside of Man in the High Castle, or the visual elements that made the link drawn to the Kennedy assassination blatant. Generally, in counterfactual narratives,

“principle characters are often fictionalized and if historical persons are present, they are rarely the protagonist” (McCourt). The opportunities to develop a substantial enough arc for historically poignant characters are diminished and it becomes difficult 79

to set up a meaningful comparison for the historical staple that simultaneously builds with the primary arc of the story and the fictionalized protagonists.

Looking at just the pilot of Man in the High Castle reveals the challenges of introducing these main characters alone: “those characters who are on one or the other side seem just like chess pieces waiting to play their part in the drama, thanks to how little [the audience initially] know[s]” (D’Addario). The episodic nature of television however, soon provided the opportunity for these staples to be explored, and when they are it is my personal belief that challenging the emotional connotation of the event and developing a tone opposite to that felt in reality holds stronger sway over the audience; a connection is not only drawn between media and real life, but challenged as the viewer is faced with the fact that similar events created different emotional reactions.

Were alternate history to begin having more presence in the realm of television narratives, I believe the use of these historical staples will be incredibly important. A unique storytelling tool becomes available and there exists an appropriate amount of time to introduce the elements that will come to set it up.

Allusions to Reality

The comparisons drawn between factual and counterfactual people/events can heavily influence audience interpretations of the narrative, but occasionally the characters themselves are aware of these differences and will be shown a world wherein events transpired according to reality (or at least along a second alternate 80

timeline). In other words, they become aware of an alternate history within their own universe. This knowledge can heavily influence character motivations and, in the case

Man in the High Castle, even act as the primary driving force behind the main players, dominating the reasoning behind the choices they make.

Within Man in the High Castle is a series of films called The Grasshopper Lies

Heavy, depicting footage of the Allies winning WWII and stopping the Axis threat.

Each primary character is driven by some desire to either decipher where these films came from and discover if there is a better world somewhere out there or, alternatively, see them destroyed so the delicate balance of power isn’t threatened; using this as the McGuffin of the show, the audience experiences the “transformative nature [the footage] has on the characters… and understand[s] how such a simple bit of film can instill hope in the hearts of the oppressed” (Gault). This symbol for factual reality incites behavior that wouldn’t naturally occur had the characters remained ignorant of its existence. It therefore becomes a unique source of tension only applicable to a narrative set in an alternate history and offers insight into the unusual ways alternate history not only impacts the audience viewing the show, but the characters themselves as they attempt to determine what to make of their counterfactual surroundings.

To best describe the unique tension reality can supply in a counterfactual narrative, I will draw a number of references to Donnie Darko (2001), an independent film that doesn’t necessarily deal with alternate histories, but alternate universes. 81

Simply put, the story in Donnie Darko surrounds a dimensional anomaly that is corrected by a young man acting as an earthly agent for an unfathomable power; in order for this agent, Donnie, to meet success, a Tangent Universe is created wherein he can be manipulated by this power toward success. Donnie slowly becomes prescient of this parallel universe’s existence and, though he doesn’t become fully aware of its purpose until the final moments of the film, it acts as a unique source from which the stakes of the narrative can be determined and creates an unusual dynamic between Donnie and the other characters. Much of Donnie’s knowledge of these circumstances comes from a fictional book called The Philosophy of Time Travel, which provides useful information to both him and the audience as seemingly unrelated events transpire throughout the film.

This book and the Tangent Universe operate very similarly to the The

Grasshopper Lies Heavy and the alternate history explored within Man in the High

Castle. The protagonists either debate internally (Donnie Darko) or amongst each other (High Castle) what exactly the content of Time Travel or Grasshopper is, what they should do with such unusual information, and what it means that such things exist in the first place. As was the reason when switching Grasshopper from a novel in

Dick’s original to a film in Amazon’s television series, the legitimacy of The

Philosophy of Time Travel could have been contested had the characters simply “read the novel and discuss[ed] it on screen, and we’d simply have to take their word for it”, but in Donnie Darko the audience reads the relevant chapters as Donnie reads them, and even comes to sympathize with the book’s author once her identity is revealed 82

(Gault). With the characters faced with an undeniable “alternate”, a number of issues are introduced that must be rationalized before the plot can continue; this type of revelation is simply too much for characters driving the action of the narrative and motivating the major arcs to ignore.

One theme that is constantly referenced in alternate history/universe narratives is destiny, and how autonomous humanity’s decisions actually are in the grand scheme of things. In the first season finale of Man in the High Castle, Juliana witnesses Joe, her sole ally in figuring out the truth behind The Grasshopper Lies Heavy, in one of the film’s reels, taking part in the execution of Jewish prisoners on behalf of the Nazi state. This devastates Juliana, removing all trust she had in Joe and leading her to baselessly blame him for sabotaging their efforts. She perceives Joe’s acceptance of

Nazi ideology as autonomous even though Joe is just as shocked to see himself in this footage; destiny, at least within the story, is perceived as fluid, something humanity shapes on their own accord. In Donnie Darko, destiny is rigid. The unnamed powers- that-be manipulate life itself within the Tangent Universe in order to assure the anomaly is corrected. Time is rewound, the dead are brought back to life, and superhuman abilities are granted to Donnie to give him the means, and the motivation, to follow through with the predetermined plan laid out before him.

How the information is processed by the characters in each example is extremely enlightening and not at all expected. Juliana sees autonomy as a strike against her attempts to decipher Grasshopper and a tool for betrayal; with nothingness replacing the notion of destiny, she becomes paranoid, distrustful, and physically 83

overwhelmed. Donnie perceives the establishment of destiny as a safety net, even referring to one of the “manipulated dead” as his “friend”.

Though ignorant of the powers-that-be throughout most of the film, he inherently trusts the motivations that push him along his path, even going so far as to burst out in enraptured laughter when his job is done and he realizes his sacrifice will not only save those who died in the Tangent Universe, but the entire Primary Universe as well. Destiny is not something that shackles mankind to lesser existence, but rather an insurance that, should something threaten the existence of life in general, mankind would be capable of correcting it.

This opposing perception between autonomy and destiny is just one of the dynamics these narratives open up for exploration to a more general audience. As the characters experience glimpses of reality through their alternate worlds, their perceptions of life shift drastically, they are put through enormous changes that test their grasp on their existence and who they are, and the audience witnessing this is exposed to unusual ideology compared to most stories presently being written.

Conclusion

By analyzing alternate history, first fundamentally and then through narrative,

I hope to acquire a well-rounded understanding of its strengths and weaknesses when actually incorporating it into my own pilot script. I believe the most important thing I took from this study was the first thing I learned about counterfactuals: it is an extremely new field in the realm of television, and it seems to currently be in a place 84

where it is ready to expand to a number of different types of stories. I believe this will be the most relevant aspect of my pilot and I am extremely interested in seeing where alternate history will be taken in the future, for the sake of this project and because of my quickly growing passion for the subject.

When comparing alternate history against factual history there has tended to be much more focus on what actually happened and how those events have come to shape the way the world works. One need only look at the vast fields of academic history and the popularity of historical fiction compared to alternate history to see this.

Professor of philosophy Martin Bunzl however, argues that “good” counterfactual reasoning can provide insight into the ways the past has—or could have—influenced the present and “we should demand no greater standard of evidence [from counterfactual reasoning] than we do in other areas of historical judgment where informal methods reign” (1). If the reasoning is sound within the scope of the alternate scenario, one should be able to accurately determine additional motivations, tactics, and reactions that provide insight into the ways the actual scenarios played out; the same can be done in the realm of the narrative.

Alongside the usual logistics that help establish an alternate history, narrative counterfactuals tend to dive even further into the mindsets of those being affected by these changes, and simultaneously draw on “the writer’s biases, talents and abilities to believably explain the altered course of history and those who make it”

(Schwartzburg). 85

In regards to narrative, a more striking portrayal of the counterfactual universe is taken to appeal to a wider audience, but its essence remains true to the reasoning utilized by historians who examine alternate history with the appropriate scrutiny. In short, the narrative writer should not only provide just as much grounding for his/her alternate history as the historian, but use that grounding when shaping characters and situations alongside narrative storytelling devices, not lose sight of its importance.

Perhaps the most common, and simplest, motif unique to counterfactual narratives is the portrayal of historical staples, particularly key historical figures, in an environment that did not exist in reality. This portrayal it typically used to further accentuate something the figure represents, taking it to a level the audience is unfamiliar with, or to counter something the figure as we know him/her stood for; ultimately, the alternate history would alter this person’s stance in one way or another and it is my personal belief that this leads to more insightful storytelling and more dynamic character interactions.

One of the most interesting things Man in the High Castle has done thus far is portray Adolf Hitler as the posterchild for security and levelheadedness when addressing the German-Japanese conflict in the program. It is insightful from a purely historical approach and provokes thought from the audience as they determine the morality of the protagonists of the show. Rarer, but just as interesting, is the potential for allusions to reality within the narrative and the ways the characters develop after having witnessed them. Such a revelation usually takes time to establish as true and all sense of doubt must be logically removed from the characters involved, but once 86

introduced the dynamic between the alternate past and that of reality acts as stable ground from which themes like destiny, autonomy, and rationalization can be explored in steady context, with the universe of the narrative reinforcing the implications put forth through the plot.

Alternate history may not be the easiest way to explore such enigmatic concepts, but I assert it is the clearest. Both of these motifs have immense benefits from being incorporated in counterfactual narratives, and it is for this reason that I am excited for the seeming increase in popularity for this kind of storytelling in television and why I intend to rely heavily on what I learned about counterfactuals as I write my own pilot.

87

Sub Culture

I came up with the idea for Sub Culture well before I ever imagined I’d be writing a thesis about it, though I had contemplated many of the topics I would come to explore. Watching Firefly (2002) for the first time was what set me on the path of television screenwriting in the first place. Drawing inspiration from Firefly, I began what became my most ambitious story to date. The premise quickly became a repository of similar elements such as the fantastic potential of obsolete technology as seen in Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001), the unique aesthetic “diesel-punk” offers in

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004), the results of extreme, unchecked isolationism from the Bioshock (2007-2013) video game series, the mystery and threat of the sea represented in H. P. Lovecraft’s “Call of Cthulhu” (1926), and the manufacturing of death, both through the weaponry of World War I (1914-1918) and the Armenian Genocide. More than anything else, however, I wanted to make sure I captured the sense of family in Firefly, the dynamic between the characters that seemed so natural but simultaneously pushed the tension of each episode further than expected. Science fiction in general would become a major source as I researched other topics for the script and really began plotting out the structure of the story and the thesis.

One aspect I was hesitant to borrow from the genre was the medium through which most of the travel occurs: space. This was a sci-fi concept I had always intended to set in the ocean a hundred years ago (before the development of radar and deep-sea diving techniques) because it served a similar purpose to space, a three-dimensional 88

zone that needed to be traversed for the sake of exploration, commerce, etc., but had countless other variables linked to the fact that it’s a life sustaining biome. The alternate history subgenre provided a sort of undefined template through which I could structure the events occurring in my story without leaving the realm of believability.

Retaining this believability was of utmost importance because I believe it acts as a tether between the audience and the characters, an assurance that the most basic empathy will be felt as the story, no matter how unusual, unfolds.

The backstory of Sub Culture was based around an extended World War I that leaked into the beginning of the 1920s, but my thesis studies helped me realize that I needed to provide the Point of Divergence which, after some additional research, I concluded should occur after the Central Powers’ last substantial victory: Russia’s withdrawal. The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was meant to break the two-front war

Germany was fighting and allow them to focus all efforts on the western theatre.

Uprisings in the east however kept German resources bogged down even though the conflict on that front had technically ceased. In this alternate history, Germany continued with the invasion of Russia, claiming the rebellions were instigated by the new Bolshevik government, and effectively voided the treaty. Russia fell into a state of panic and acquiesced to Germany’s much more drastic demands. With the resources of the former Russian Empire, the Central Powers were able to continue the war effort against the Allies for the foreseeable future.

With the new history set, I was able to focus on character and the specific issues their stories would be surrounding. While the motifs and the setting of these 89

stories remained fairly consistent from conception to the actual writing process, the characters went through some substantial changes, primarily to their ethnicities and nationalities. As I worked on the script itself, I realized I wanted to write a story more about the world as a whole, and less about just the American perception of the war.

The five white Americans on the crew soon decreased to two. I wanted the “family” I created to be different; not necessarily from other families, but from one another. The more diverse the opinions, the more room for drama, and the more potential for entirely different outlooks regarding something as familiar as war.

Amelia and Felix would remain the way they were, representative of the corruption in big business and crime (respectively) that ran rampant in America during this time. August would become half-Hispanic, more accurately portraying the values he shares with the American Southwest: hard work, autonomy, and a sense of adventure. Rose would become half-Japanese, more indicative of her status as an illegitimate child and representing the expansion of the war now heavily involving the

Far East. Gillie would become a Romani (Gypsy) immigrant, suggestive of the entire crew’s nomadic existence and eliciting the nationalistic atmosphere prevalent during this time of conflict. Finally, Walter would remain of German descent, offering a point of view not from the perspective of the Central Powers, but from Europe as a whole.

Many of these changes came about as I was concluding the research portion of my thesis and was becoming familiar with the scope of sci-fi and how it is traditionally more accepting of characters who look, think, and act differently; those were the types of characters I wanted to write. None of these changes would impact the personalities 90

of the characters leading up to/during the pilot, but will come to shape their portrayal in the future. Apart from being more inclusive of the world as a whole, I believe these alterations will make for more unique opportunities when developing these characters and ultimately lead to more gripping stories.

After further analyzing the pilots I watched while researching my thesis I found multiple, contradictory tactics that each worked in their own way. I decided to take a step back and keep my approach simple. For the story of the pilot itself, my one goal was to set up the conflict of the series: the disenchanted daughter of an industrial tycoon steals the prototype super-submarine that’s been developed to win the war for the Allies. My initial plan was to simply tell this story from the daughter’s (Amelia) point of view, from stealing the sub to gathering a crew to going on the run. I played with this idea a little before abandoning it as too ambitious; there was simply too much information and not enough room for tension, drama, or character development. I had researched Farscape (1999-2003) for my thesis, which dealt with a pilot of similar scope fairly successfully. This tactic was to follow the last member to join the crew

(Gillie) and relay the prior events to him/her, and the audience, as would naturally happen. This way, the audience is thrown into a new world without much context, but when it comes to the story itself, the pacing slows and becomes more structured as the protagonist and the audience both work to piece everything together. By the end of the pilot, the conflict is the same as it would have been with my initial approach, but there is much more tension among the characters because of the additional plot arc I was able to add. Also, the “origin story” can now be told later in the series, when there’s 91

more time to fully explore it, and the audience has grown more attached to the characters. This will keep the story emotionally enticing and help establish it as a key emotional beat in the characters’ development, instead of just as an explanation as to how these immensely different characters ended up on the same boat.

After settling on this approach I needed to formulate the best way to relate the universe of the narrative to an audience that would be entirely unfamiliar with it. This was done the same way as the surrogate pilot to Firefly, “The Train Job”: an anniversary. There is no better way to get people naturally talking about the past.

There is also the implicit tension in the symbolism of the anniversary; people will undoubtedly be celebrating what the date stands for, as in Firefly, or undermining it, as in Sub Culture. In my pilot, the anniversary of the armistice of the war was intended to represent peace. It has come to stand for fear however, since a massive German attack occurred only a few hours later. This represents both the uncertainty of a world at war, and the doubt Gillie feels regarding her own future; a new beginning is established for her as she finds a place with Amelia and her crew and this doubt slowly begins to fade away. The bulk of the plot is worked around this general uneasiness of what the day symbolizes and the conflicting emotions of the major characters as they react to this atmosphere. It is definitely something they have never dealt with before but is revelatory of each of their personalities, perceptions, and the path of their characters.

This script was by far one of the most difficult things I’ve ever written. I would also argue it’s among the best. I wish I’d had more time to experiment with the writing itself before I completed it but I am very happy with where it ended up and I can’t 92

wait to see what ends up becoming of it. I believe I was able to portray the characters as realistically as I have ever done before. This has always been a struggle for me since I am very story-centric and have trouble giving character motivations as much consideration as I should. The amount of research I put into structuring it, outlining it, and ultimately writing it was unprecedented compared to my other projects, but I’ve never learned more from actually applying my skills. I originally chose this concept for my thesis because I believed it has the most potential. Now I’m certain it does. 93

Sub Culture

By

Drew Essig 94

SUPER: As the great questions of commerce and power between nations and empires must be decided by a military marine, and war and peace, are determined at sea, all reasonable encouragement should be given to the navy. The trident of Neptune is the scepter of the world. -John Adams

EXT. URBAN PORT - DAWN

The CLAMOR of 1920s diesel machines kicks black smoke past MEN in dirty clothes who haul coal and metal in RICKETY carts. SHOUTS ring out, curt orders to the men. WOMEN and CHILDREN stand at a dock, watching the open ocean in silence, disregarding the working men and the smoke fluttering across their gaze. AMELIA - in a vibrant, purple dress that clashes with the black and gray around her - balances on her toes, catching a glimpse of the empty sea.

CHEERING slowly erupts through the crowd. Workers look up. A BATTLESHIP, a gray behemoth, emerges from the black smoke. SAILORS on the deck wave and CALL out to the shore. The women and children’s REPLIES, incoherent through the DIN.

Amelia searches from one sailor to the next as the battleship pulls alongside the dock. Wooden planks extend from its deck, clamping onto the frail structure.

Sailors hurl themselves across the planks, sprinting down the wooden ramp to shore as the crowd awaits them with open arms, each man clamping onto his family. Amelia continues glancing from one sailor to the next - chaotic reunions accentuating her desperation.

Among the crowd, SIMON, a sailor with an imposing figure but a boyish face, catches sight of her. They lock eyes and rush to each other. Simon kisses Amelia’s forehead as they embrace.

Amelia lifts her face from Simon’s shoulder.

AMELIA Mother said you wouldn’t come back.

SIMON Now why wouldn’t I come back here?

Amelia breaks the embrace, eyes wide as she watches Simon.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 95

AMELIA We’d heard horrible things from the front. Every ship that came to port would talk about the destruction.

SIMON It’s over now.

Simon rests a consoling hand on Amelia’s arm.

SIMON (CONT’D) Mother’s going to have to start doing better than that if she’s expecting to keep me away.

Amelia offers a smile that melts with a distant RUMBLE. Everyone turns, facing out to sea, to the battleship dipping steadily as it drifts on the current. Suddenly, it erupts in a burst of white heat, the metal TEARING away from the hull and creating huge, black gashes. Shrapnel and flame splinter onto shore. PANIC erupts. CRIES and SCREAMS as the crowd disperses. Sailors shield the civilians from oncoming shrapnel.

SENTRY (O.S.) U-boats! Get away from the dock!

An EXPLOSION throws up a flurry of scorched sand and metal.

Two more STRIKE, both among the fleeing crowd. The victims are lost in the clouds of black smoke. A few sailors draw sidearms and FIRE into the ocean.

Amelia pulls Simon away from the shore. He keeps his gaze to sea, face blank amid more EXPLOSIONS. Amelia falls to her knees, dragging Simon with her. His attention shifts to her as he helps her to her feet.

He leads as they sprint toward a warehouse yard. They weave between piles of equipment as EXPLOSIONS strike within the maze, tracking them. Simon suddenly takes a hard right, dodging a column of black smoke that SHOOTS into the sky just before him. He leads Amelia past a stack of OIL DRUMS. Without warning, they burst into a shower of orange flames.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 96

Amelia’s thrown back by the force. She searches desperately as oily embers burn in the sand.

AMELIA Simon!?

Behind her, Simon thrashes in the sand. Amelia glimpses his face, engulfed in flames and twisted in agony.

She rolls on her stomach and crawls to him. An EXPLOSION kicks up a flurry of sand, coating her in white grit. She rubs her eyes. A wall of black smoke meets her gaze.

INHALING sharply, she enters the smokescreen. Her eyes flicker violently amid the specks of ash and dust.

AMELIA (CONT’D) Si-

She COUGHS into the sand, EXPLOSIONS bursting close by. She looks around herself, gaze darting, but her body limp. Outside the cloud, EXPLOSIONS speckle the shore in either direction. Fires ROAR and black smoke chokes the area as civilians flee through the destruction. Black metal emerges from the water as the U-BOATS surface. SUPER: New York, September 3, 1919

INT. GILLIE’S APARTMENT - DAWN The dingy room is cloaked in makeshift exoticism. Ornate furniture sits under colorful scarves and silks. Glittering TOOLS line the floor, compartmentalized to a small space. Paper RUSTLES outside the open window, followed by a VOICE, deep and masculine with a heavy PERSIAN ACCENT.

GRUFF (O.S.) (reading) As a strictly precautionary measure, upwards of half the American Navy will be returning to the East Coast today for the first anniversary of the Sacking of New England. To ensure security, all citizens are urged to remain calm and vigilant, but no evidence has come forth of any planned attack.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 97

On a cot tucked into the corner, GILLIE stares at the ceiling, her red hair a twisted mess. Suddenly, she throws the sheets aside, fluidly sitting up. She reaches for a pair of faded trousers on the floor.

GRUFF (O.S.) (CONT’D) This also marks the anniversary of the armistice that began the demilitarization of Western Europe. We hope citizens will remember what this day was meant to represent, not what it’s become.

Gillie replaces her nightgown with the trousers and a yellow blouse, works her feet into a pair of stiff, leather boots.

GRUFF (O.S.) (CONT’D) As sailors use this day to resupply and recuperate after a long year of engagements, we encourage everyone to take time to thank the men who’ve kept our coastlines safe.

Gillie draws a warmly colored shawl over her head, gathers the tools together, and places them in a burlap sack. She slings it over her shoulder and opens the door.

EXT. GILLIE’S APARTMENT - DAWN Enormous tenements buildings line the street, filthy but widely spaced apart. Gillie locks the door to her apartment, ignoring SHOUTS from down the street, angry and Persian.

Two American BOYS dash toward her, wearing large grins. One clutches something small to his chest. Gillie shoots an arm out, catching the one with the item.

It CLATTERS to the ground. Gillie picks it up, still holding onto the Boy: a MATCHBOOK with Persian writing on the sides. She turns to the Boy, staring past her. The other watches them from across the street.

He dashes away when she spots him. She turns back to the one she’s caught, face pale as he looks from the street to her. Smiling, she releases him but blocks the street view.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 98

GILLIE (Romani-accented) What are you doing out here? Do you know what day it is?

The Boy lowers his gaze, stopping on the matches.

GILLIE (CONT’D) Of course you don’t. Go home. Tell your mother where you were.

Gillie steps aside and the Boy brushes past her, pouting.

BOY (dryly) I thought you were my mother.

Gillie turns around and gives him a light kick in the pants as he passes. He takes off, startled.

GILLIE I’ll mind your mother for teaching you to behave like that!

She smirks as the Boy races up the street. The SHOUTING snaps her focus back to the matchbook.

EXT. GROCER - DAWN Gillie follows the NOISE around her apartment to find THREE PERSIAN MEN in the alcove of a small GROCER. GRUFF MUMBLES as he continues to read the NEWSPAPER. A TIMID man sits beside him while a DAINTY man stands to the side. The two SHOUT over an ornate HOOKAH situated between them. The men suddenly stop and turn to Gillie, half hidden behind the corner. She emerges entirely, cautiously.

DAINTY (in Persian) What do you want?

Gillie stops, offers the matchbook to Dainty. He lights up.

DAINTY (CONT’D) Thank you! (in English) How did you get it back?

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 99

GILLIE I just acted like his mother.

She smiles, taking a step toward Dainty. Gruff watches.

GRUFF There’s not many mothers willing to act like it out here, are there?

Gillie turns to Gruff once Dainty takes the matchbook.

GILLIE The willingness is there, I think. Lately they just all have to work on the docks.

GRUFF No excuse for raising a thief. (to Dainty) You remember what happened to you when you were caught stealing?

Gillie eyes Dainty, who blushes at the attention.

DAINTY (to Gillie) Back in Persia, I lived down the street from a bakery. Once, there was an enormous cake in the front window. As a child, I wanted to steal it.

EXT. HARBOR - DAWN

The Boy meanders through the abandoned area. Debris bobs in the oily current and tall buildings cast dark shadows over the water. Weak waves SLIDE up and down over the sand.

DAINTY (V.O.) Every time I tried I got caught, and my mother would make me give up something of my own to the baker, as if it had been stolen itself.

The Boy suddenly stops, eyes glued down the shoreline. Something heavy SLIDES over the sand. FELIX, a young, sallow man with a prideful demeanor, drags a grimy rowboat to the dry sand.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 100

DAINTY (V.O.) (CONT’D) I didn’t have anything of value, so she would make me go to the quarry and spend hours looking for a certain rock she would describe, smooth and spotted, or shaped like an arrowhead. If I ever found it quickly, I would bring it back, and she’d say ’not good enough’.

The Boy bolts back into town, kicking up flurries of sand. Felix’s gaze snaps in his direction as he continues work.

DAINTY (V.O.) (CONT’D) Once my mother approved, I’d have to present the rock to the baker. After a few weeks, he sat me down in his shop, and he showed me all the rocks. All I could see was the many times I’d been caught.

Lodging the rowboat in the sand, Felix watches the sea.

A SUBMARINE pokes out of the flat water, enormous despite its distance from shore.

DAINTY (V.O.) (CONT’D) He smiled at me, until I reached into my pocket, and took out all the sweets I’d taken while trying to get to the cake. He stopped laughing, and asked me why I kept trying to steal the cake when I could steal the sweets.

Felix turns to town, immediately BUMPING into a SCRAGGLY man with a wooden crate. Glass CLINKS from inside. Scraggly shoots Felix a look, but BUMBLES past. More MEN follow him, each holding crates that CLINK softly.

Felix looks past Scraggly to a stilted building in his path.

DAINTY (V.O.) (CONT’D) I told him I always forgot about the candy I stole. They meant nothing to me, but the cake would be in my thoughts every moment I had to look for the rocks. The cake became my obsession. It was forbidden. But I had to have it, even if it became more impossible with each failure.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 101

Even more MEN BUSTLE about, unlocking doors and moving crates, a hive of activity among derelict surroundings. Felix frowns, lip trembling. He whips around and storms off.

EXT. MARKET - DAWN Rows of carts form an aisle leading from town to the beach. Those closer to town overflow with produce and meat; those closer to shore, fish and crustaceans. All are shoddy, worn.

Gillie shops with a few other CUSTOMERS, some MUTTERING to the VENDORS. Everyone throws haggard glances out to sea. Gillie’s attention linger out toward the beach.

QUENTIN, a younger woman with beach-blond hair and an apron, stands before a cart, surrounded by a group of CHILDREN. She crouches, level with them, as she whispers silently. Without looking, she grabs a handful of BERRIES from the cart and offers them to the children, smiling. The Children CHEER in surprise as Gillie hides a grin. They each take a few berries and dash away. One passes Gillie, who glances up, makes eye contact with Quentin.

Quentin turns back to the cart, returning the extra berries. Confused, Gillie frowns as a barrel-chested MAN passes, lumbering toward Quentin.

The Man inaudibly speaks to Quentin, who whips around, talks back with irritable gestures. He cuts her off and walks away. Spitefully, Quentin grabs a handful of berries and storms toward Gillie.

GILLIE What did he say?

Quentin passes her. Gillie hurries to catch up.

EXT. MAIN STREET - DAWN The street is flanked by tidier buildings, stores and service shops. Light is more abundant with fewer obstacles to catch it. TOWNSPEOPLE BUSTLE from building to building.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 102

Quentin is among them, keeping a rapid pace. She slows to a relaxed walk once Gillie catches up.

QUENTIN Berry?

GILLIE What happened?

Quentin helps herself to one of the berries.

QUENTIN He won’t let me work today. Says there’s too much risk of an attack.

GILLIE It is the anniversary.

QUENTIN The Germans aren’t stupid enough to attack the day everyone’s expecting it. Whoever thinks so is a fool.

GILLIE If they did, and it was successful, they might think they could win the war. It could lead to an invasion.

Quentin flashes a pitiful smile.

QUENTIN God. You really think something will happen today.

GILLIE I’m sure you’ve thought stranger things than that.

QUENTIN Of course.

She throws a glance back down the street, to the market.

QUENTIN (CONT’D) But I don’t let it interfere with my job.

GILLIE He might just be looking out for your safety.

Gillie SHUFFLES ahead. Quentin frowns at her but keeps pace. 103

EXT. WALTER’S SHOP - DAWN The building sits on the edge of town. CROWDS flow past from the roads but never stop outside the decrepit structure. The ocean breeze WHISTLES through the holes in the rotting wood.

Gillie drops her sack on a rickety table beside a pile of metallic DEBRIS. Around her neck, she retrieves a small key. Quentin snags it. Gillie shakes her head as she focuses on removing the tools from her sack.

The lock on the door SNAPS opens and Quentin steps inside. Alone, Gillie looks up, across the ocean before her. A few ships creep toward shore, the light seeping through the morning fog. Many more are perched further out, waiting.

Gillie’s eyes narrow as the BUSTLING crowds become louder.

WALTER (O.S.) (in German) You! Girl! Why are you out here?!

Gillie jumps as WALTER, lean with a short beard, approaches.

WALTER (CONT’D) (in English) Who’s in the shop? Why are you just standing out here?!

Gillie rubs her arm, recovering from the shock.

GILLIE It’s only Quentin. Stop worrying.

She fidgets her hands.

GILLIE (CONT’D) And don’t speak any German today. Please.

Walter leans close to Gillie, a daring smirk on his face.

WALTER I will speak how I want at my shop.

Gillie glares at him but quickly disengages. Walter leans back, nodding slowly, and opens his coat, rummages through his pockets.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 104

WALTER (CONT’D) I have a job lined up. You stay here and look after things until I complete the inspection. No other inspections. No breaks. Don’t even leave the counter.

Walter shoos her away from the table. She takes a step back but stops, glancing to the ocean.

GILLIE What if something happens?

WALTER What are you talking about?

Walter returns to his pockets.

GILLIE The anniversary. You said I could keep watch on the shore.

Walter holds Gillie’s gaze, suspicion in his eyes.

WALTER If it makes you feel better, stay out here. Fine. Just keep busy.

He retrieves an ancient ENGINE from the pile of debris and drops it onto the table beside the pristine tools.

WALTER (CONT’D) It’s hard enough to look like a business with you and that other girl always in sight.

A silver FLASK glitters in his pocket as he continues RUMMAGING. Reflexively, he grabs it and takes a swig. He leaves his jacket askew as he replaces it.

He turns away but Gillie catches him, straightening the jacket. He SLAPS her hand away, forceful but not violent. Gillie recoils, turns back to her tools. Walter eyes her, gives his jacket a curt tug, straightening it himself.

He turns and strolls into town. Gillie looks down at her hand, clutching the flask.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 105

QUENTIN (O.S.) Why did you do that?

Quentin stands in the door frame. Gillie diverts her gaze to the archaic engine, picks up her wrench, and sets to work.

GILLIE He should focus on the inspection.

QUENTIN He’s more focused with the flask than without it. (beat) He takes you in, off the street, and you steal from him?

GILLIE What if there’s an attack?!

Gillie SLAMS the wrench to the table and turns to Quentin.

GILLIE (CONT’D) Don’t treat him like a saint.

QUENTIN Charity is charity.

GILLIE It’s not charity!

Quentin’s gaze darts behind Gillie. Gillie follows, coming face to face with Felix. She tenses, but stands her ground.

GILLIE (CONT’D) What can I help you with?

FELIX I need a man to inspect my ship.

GILLIE (resentfully) Sorry, sir. My boss is on another job. He’ll be back in a few hours.

FELIX But, I was asked to meet him, now.

Gillie looks to Quentin, her confusion melting to a frown.

GILLIE That stupid drunk.

Felix’s eyes snap to Gillie as he slowly draws his hands closer to his person.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 106

FELIX Is there a problem?

QUENTIN No, no problem.

GILLIE (to Quentin) He must’ve assumed he set the location again.

Gillie turns to Felix, but her eyes dart behind him, to the sea and the encroaching ships.

GILLIE (CONT’D) (to Quentin) You know where it is. Can you go through town and cut him off?

Quentin nods and heads off. Gillie watches her before glancing at Felix and returning her focus to the engine.

Felix keeps his attention locked on Gillie as she works.

FELIX This happens often?

GILLIE Occasionally. At this point he just assumes everyone knows to look for him at the Derelict.

FELIX I did. The area was crawling with people so I thought I’d warn him.

Gillie makes an adjustment to the engine. It suddenly SPUTTERS to life, but dies out.

She glances up at Felix without moving her head.

GILLIE The Derelict is a speakeasy.

FELIX A what?

Gillie exchanges tools without looking away from the engine.

GILLIE Liqueur, alcohol, crowds. The perfect place to meet inconspicuously.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 107

FELIX Sounds terrible for that.

Gillie drops the tool and works her fingers over the metal.

GILLIE You’ve never been to one?

She glances up to Felix, scans his boyish face with a smirk.

GILLIE (CONT’D) Mum and dad don’t approve?

FELIX Do you treat all your customers with that lack of respect or have I insulted you somehow?

Gillie focuses on the engine, grin vanishing as she works.

GILLIE Well, the first I guess.

A sudden EXPLOSION of whirring metal mutes all other sound. Felix shuts his mouth as he watches the vibrating engine.

EXT. SIDE STREET - DAWN

Only indirect sunlight slips into the alley. Shadows cast black and gray everywhere. People scurry past the ends of the street, their footsteps ECHOING off the flat walls. Walter strolls through the shade, glancing about leisurely as he keeps a steady pace.

At the other end of the street, a cloaked man in a BOWLER HAT advances, his gaze on the ground. As the two pass, they BUMP into one another. Walter whips around but Bowler continues on his way, head down.

Walter eyes him before turning to face the wall. Another figure steps into the alley as Bowler exits.

Quentin hugs the wall, taking small steps. Water SPLASHES onto the ground as she proceeds. Walter glances to Quentin, ZIPS up his pants.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 108

QUENTIN What the hell were you doing?

WALTER (muttering) Always on the move.

QUENTIN I don’t know where you were going Fritz, but your job’s waiting for you back at the shop.

Walter takes a step toward her.

WALTER What’s he doing there?

QUENTIN Waiting for you. Now come on.

She turns to leave.

WALTER I can’t believe Gillie would be so foolish with---

Quentin whips back around.

QUENTIN And don’t say a damn thing about Gillie. It’s a miracle she’s kept you in business all this---

An EXPLOSION suddenly blasts Walter down the street and tears a hole in one of the buildings.

Quentin watches in shock as another EXPLOSION launches debris at her. She reflexively covers her head.

EXT. WALTER’S SHOP - DAWN

Felix watches a column of black smoke in the distance. Gillie follows his gaze. Her jaw drops.

Suddenly, she bolts into town, leaving the engine RUNNING. 109

EXT. MAIN STREET - DAWN Gillie slips by CIVILIANS fleeing in the opposite direction. Felix follows behind, shoving past the same Civilians.

EXT. COURTYARD - DAWN Gillie stops among a few braver CIVILIANS. The destruction has spread, flames licking an apartment as FAMILIES spill out. CHOKING punctuates the silence as the smoke lingers. Gillie scans the faces, eyes darting from one to the next. They stop abruptly on Walter stumbling away from the damage.

He’s unhurt but his gaze is fixed, dead. He continues, his movements heavy, until he disappears into an alley. Gillie takes a step toward him.

QUENTIN (O.S.) Help!

Gillie whips back around, creeps toward a razed building. Through the rubble, she glimpses Quentin pinned under a burning support beam. She rushes into the blackened shell.

Passing the thick smoke and the raging fire, she reaches Quentin and takes her hand, pulling her from the beam.

GILLIE You’re gonna be fine Quentin. Just stay awake.

QUENTIN (softly) It’s night already?

Felix rushes through the crowd, to the brink of the shell, carefully advances toward Gillie. A chunk of roof CRASHES before him.

FELIX You have to get out of here!

Gillie grits her teeth and pulls at Quentin. Her vision fractures under the stress, jumps slightly.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 110

GILLIE Stay awake and help with this (in Romani) damn piece of maggot-ridden trash.

Felix glances at the ceiling as he navigates past the fire. He takes Gillie’s arm and pulls her away. She shakes him off and returns to Quentin, eyes still, dark. Felix removes a silver REVOLVER and brings it down across the back of Gillie’s head, hard.

INT. LORELEI - COMMON AREA - DAY

The room houses a faded rainbow of cushions and pillows. A similar amalgam of rugs lay across the metal floor. The illusion of comfort is present, but offers only a thin veil. Gillie slouches in a purple couch, eyes closed. Her body is limp but she takes shallow BREATHS.

AUGUST (O.S.) You still grabbed the wrong one!

FELIX (O.S.) You’d rather I just left her there?

AUGUST (O.S.) You shouldn’t have been involved in the first place!

Across from Gillie, Felix stands against AUGUST, a darker-skinned, clean-cut, young man.

AUGUST (CONT’D) You should’ve left the minute Walter wasn’t there and looked for him. We don’t have time for this!

FELIX I might’ve saved us time! Have her look at the engine.

AUGUST She’s an apprentice, Felix! And you said yourself she’s an immigrant. She wouldn’t know the first thing about an American ship.

ROSE, a pale, half-Japanese teenager sits on the floor. She suddenly glances to Gillie.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 111

Gillie SHUFFLES on the couch, letting out a weak GROAN and attracting Felix and August’s attention.

She sits up, rubs her eyes vigorously. A figure steps forward: Amelia, her face prematurely aged but still striking, delicate.

AMELIA (coldly) Are you okay?

Gillie stops, opening her eyes and looking to Amelia. She vomits, WRENCHING as it SPLASHES against the cold metal.

Amelia turns to Felix, stiff, humorless.

FELIX Must not have her sea legs yet.

AMELIA (to August) Leave us.

AUGUST Amelia---

AMELIA Now.

August glares at Felix as he stalks to the door.

Felix ignores him, glancing at Gillie before leaving. Vomit clings to her lip and her cheeks are flushed.

AMELIA (CONT’D) (to Rose) Please wait outside.

Rose stands, perfectly balanced, and exits. The door CLUNKS lightly behind her. Amelia retrieves a HANDKERCHIEF from her pocket, approaches Gillie. Gillie’s gaze locks to her. Amelia stops before her, wipes the vomit from her lip with the handkerchief, harsh, but effective. Gillie flinches.

GILLIE Where am I?

Amelia rolls the handkerchief and returns it to her pocket.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 112

AMELIA You’re on my ship. All I want are the repairs I scheduled.

GILLIE (cringing) What happened?

AMELIA An explosion. We couldn’t rule out an attack so we brought you aboard for your safety.

Gillie suddenly straightens in her seat.

GILLIE What about Quentin?

Amelia narrows her gaze.

AMELIA There was no one else.

GILLIE No. No, she was there! I saw her!

Gillie suddenly hunches forward, clenching her jaw.

AMELIA You need to stay calm. Your head was hit in the explosion.

GILLIE I need to go back.

AMELIA I can’t allow that. The ship needs repairs. And we are too far behind schedule.

GILLIE I don’t---

AMELIA If you get us moving, just fast enough to be out of port by dusk, we’ll set you right back at port, a hundred dollars richer.

Gillie looks to Amelia, holds her gaze. 113

INT. LORELEI - REAR HALL - DAY

A handful of doors break up the monotony of the metal tube. At the end is an enormous bulkhead, the first inklings of rust staining the lock. Uneven FOOTSTEPS approach it.

Amelia steers Gillie toward the door, hand on her shoulder. They stop just before it and Amelia relinquishes her grasp. She grabs the lock and spins it, the sudden CREAK causing Gillie to cringe. Amelia opens the door.

She steps back, guiding Gillie over the threshold while she remains in the hall. Gillie turns back to the face the hall.

AMELIA What can you do?

INT. LORELEI - ENGINE ROOM - DAY

Gillie faces the enormous room, expression melting to awe.

Exposed gears line the wall, leading up to the ceiling. A few hatches line the floor, leading to compartments of wires and fuses. There is no sign of life among any component. Gillie’s eyes dart from section to section.

GILLIE I need to take a closer look. Some of this is... unfamiliar.

Amelia rests her hand on the open bulkhead.

AMELIA Well, as soon as I read that the systems check out, I’ll take you back to shore.

Gillie whips back around to Amelia.

GILLIE What happens if they don’t?

AMELIA At least you’ll have tried your best.

Amelia forces a smile as the door shuts with a CLANG. Gillie turns back, the machine looming before her.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 114

GILLIE (quietly) I can do this.

INT. LORELEI - REAR HALL - DAY

AMELIA That girl cannot do this. She’s in way over her head.

Felix and August await Amelia in the hall.

FELIX You seem pretty certain about that.

AMELIA Open your eyes Felix. She’s barely standing after what you did to her.

FELIX To save her life!

AUGUST And look where that’s put us.

FELIX Do you even hear yourself?

AMELIA You’re going back to shore to get Walter. There’s no way around it.

FELIX There’s been an attack! No way tracking him down’s worth the risk!

AMELIA If he can get us moving, he’s worth chancing a few burns. Do you know where he is?

Felix SIGHS, shrugging helplessly.

FELIX Yeah. Got a place to start looking at least.

AMELIA Don’t come back without him.

Felix nods curtly, retreats down the hall.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 115

AUGUST (to Amelia) Think he’ll be okay alone?

AMELIA Go with him.

AUGUST I wasn’t offering.

AMELIA And I wasn’t asking. We’re not making an exception for his little friend in there. We need to keep our tracks covered. Absolutely.

AUGUST I agree.

AMELIA If he were to learn how we’ve been doing that, he may demand an exception. That can’t happen.

AUGUST What should I do?

AMELIA Keep him focused on Walter. She won’t be a problem much longer.

AUGUST You okay to do this?

She glances at August, stalks into one of the side rooms.

INT. LORELEI - FORWARD HALL - DAY

August sprints to catch up with Felix.

FELIX What?

AUGUST Thought I’d join you. Another pair of eyes to find your lost mechanic.

FELIX Just keep up. I want out of this minefield as quick as possible.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 116

AUGUST Where do you think your man is?

FELIX Does it matter? Getting him on board is going to be a nightmare.

AUGUST How’s that?

FELIX Amelia told me he’s German. Think he’ll trust us while everyone believes they’re behind the attack?

August shakes his head.

AUGUST This doesn’t seem like the Germans. Where’s the invasion force?

FELIX Doesn’t matter who it actually was. We’re still gonna be stuck in the middle of a witch hunt.

INT. LORELEI - AMELIA’S ROOM - DAY

The compartment has been converted into a cramped bedroom. A worn bed sits beside a table with framed PICTURES, gray and dusty. An ornate DRESSER stands open against a wall. Amelia removes a SNUB-NOSE REVOLVER from the top of the dresser and opens the chamber. It’s empty. She searches through the drawers, ignoring a number of bright, silky FABRICS hanging inside. Four BULLETS CLINK as they roll over the wood. She hastily loads them into the chamber. Rose enters from behind, silently ignoring Amelia. She glances the room over, gaze landing on the small table. She creeps toward this, expression still blank.

Amelia closes the chamber and turns to Rose, tucking the gun into her belt the moment she sees her. Rose, oblivious, picks up a PORTRAIT of a WOMAN, Simon, and Amelia. The face of a fourth BODY has been torn out.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 117

Amelia approaches tenderly and takes the frame, setting it back on the table. Rose tracks it but Amelia takes her shoulder, slowly steering her away from the table.

AMELIA They’re not a part of this anymore. You’ll never see any of them again. I promise.

Amelia’s expression melts as Rose watched her, face blank. She draws Rose into a loose hug.

AMELIA (CONT’D) I will do whatever I can to keep you safe. You’re all I have left.

Rose’s arms hang limp as she stares over Amelia’s shoulder.

INT. LORELEI - ENGINE ROOM - DAY

Black smoke pours out of the CHURNING mechanism. White bursts SPUTTER through the flow, clearing the room. Gillie emerges from the shroud, FIRE EXTINGUISHER in hand and goggles shielding her eyes.

She throws the canister aside and buries her hands in a small compartment of the machine, working frantically. Behind her, the door opens and Amelia steps inside, COUGHING as the smoke slips past her.

AMELIA What happened?

Gillie throws a glance at her.

GILLIE I’ve been fighting fires since I removed the casing.

AMELIA Put them out!

Sparks shoot out of the component, forcing Gillie to recoil. Amelia rushes to the mechanism and yanks a cord out of the wall. The CHURNING dies.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 118

GILLIE Thanks.

AMELIA No luck?

GILLIE Everything’s worn down. Some of the components are completely shot. They’re irreplaceable.

Amelia smiles weakly.

AMELIA You tried.

She reaches behind her, touches the hilt of the snub nose that pokes out of her belt.

GILLIE There’s just too much strain. If you want to keep out of port it’s gonna have to be an overhaul.

AMELIA A what?

GILLIE I can adapt it for longer travel. The key components are fine. I would need to bypass some of the other systems though.

Amelia looks to the engine, back to Gillie, stunned.

AMELIA What systems?

GILLIE Some safety countermeasures for the engine would have to be shut down to allow for the strain. Should be the extent of it.

AMELIA Your solution is to turn my ship into a deathtrap?

GILLIE A moving deathtrap.

Amelia drops her hand from the hilt, relaxes.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 119

AMELIA If this works, the system check will occur with you here. If this overhaul is lethal, you’ll know well before we do.

She glances at the engine before turning to leave.

GILLIE Why does the ship need to spend so much time at sea?

AMELIA What?

GILLIE Is this a freighter? Recon ship? It’d help with the overhaul if I knew the basic design.

AMELIA It’s a six hundred man attack transport.

Amelia turns and exits. Gillie slides the goggles to her forehead, eyes glued to her.

INT. SPEAKEASY - DAY

The small space is crammed with gruff MEN and a few hard faced WOMEN. They spill around a worn counter and skewed tables. Liquor flows freely from filthy bottles. August retreats from the counter, two chipped whiskey GLASSES in hand. Foreign conversations BUZZ around him. A SCUFFLE in the shadows before him.

FELIX (to patron) Watch where you’re stepping!

Felix shoves a lanky PATRON in the shoulder. He careens and drops his drink. It SHATTERS.

The patron squares up to Felix but August slips between the two, offers one of his whiskeys to the patron. He accepts the glass, eying Felix as he retreats.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 120

FELIX What the hell are you doing?

AUGUST Acting casual.

He grabs Felix’s collar and pulls him out of the shadows.

AUGUST (CONT’D) Join me.

Felix glances around nervously as August sips his drink.

FELIX (spitefully) You do this often?

AUGUST When I have to, yes.

FELIX Can’t imagine booze being that important to your work.

AUGUST We’re criminals Felix.

August turns to Felix, finds him tracking someone across the room. He follows Felix’s gaze.

Walter collapses into a chair across from a SCRAPPY looking man, overflowing STEIN in hand. Felix advances, August close behind, as Scrappy stands. He watches the pair as they pass.

They glance at him uncomfortably before taking two chairs across from Walter. Walter watches them with half-open eyes.

FELIX (CONT’D) Walter, my name is Felix Reeves. I was supposed to meet you here earlier today. You remember?

Walter takes a drink from the stein.

AUGUST We had a job for you. If it’s acceptable we’d like to take you back to our ship and get to work.

Walter tips the stein toward August.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 121

WALTER At the moment, that’s unacceptable.

August smiles through gritted teeth.

AUGUST I’m sure you’ve been searching so it’ll reassure you to know Gillie’s with us safe aboard---

Walter lunges across the table, grabs Felix’s collar. The stein CLATTERS to the floor.

WALTER Where did you take her?! If you hurt her I’ll tear both your throats out right here!

Felix struggles against Walter’s hold.

FELIX What’s happening?!

AUGUST Walter please!

WALTER Where is she!

August glances nervously behind him as a few PATRONS watch.

AUGUST She was brought to our ship for her own safety! She was hurt in the explosion!

Walter’s attention snaps to August. Felix rips his shirt from Walter’s grasp.

AUGUST (CONT’D) If you want to see her you need to come with us. It’s too dangerous to try to move her.

Felix stops straightening his shirt, eyes August. August keeps his gaze on Walter, who leans back in his seat, squares August up with suspicious eyes.

WALTER Fine.

August stands but Walter lifts a hand, rising slowly.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 122

WALTER (CONT’D) I just need to pay for my drink.

August lowers himself back to his seat, eyes narrow. Walter heads for the counter, flips through a couple BILLS. Behind him, Scrappy returns to the table. August and Felix ignore him as he stands beside the table.

SCRAPPY You’re in my seat.

FELIX We were just leaving.

Scrappy grabs the back of August’s chair, spins it around so they’re face to face.

SCRAPPY Shouldn’t have been here in the first place.

AUGUST Is this going to be a problem?

SCRAPPY It wouldn’t, if you stopped hounding Walter about the attack.

FELIX We aren’t hounding him. In fact, we’re trying to take him away from the people who are.

Walter glances back at the table. He eyes the room nervously, slides around the counter to the exit.

SCRAPPY And how do you see him trusting you to take him anywhere?

FELIX I hadn’t considered it, but if he trusts you to intimidate us he should be pretty easy to fool. 123

EXT. HARBOR - DAY August TUMBLES forcefully down the stairs that lead to the entrance of the stilted building. His face SMACKS into the sand once he clears the wooden planks.

Felix backs out the door, into the railing and tripping over it. He falls into the shallows with a SPLASH. The two stumble to their feet and retreat toward town.

The group of Vendors approach, pushing empty carts along the shore. Felix and August stop as they block the road. Scrappy and a few Thugs exit, scanning the surroundings. Felix points them out to August and leads the way as they slip between the Vendors. One by one, the Thugs return to the speakeasy, Scrappy last. Felix and August slip away from the Vendors and take shelter in the shadow of a nearby alley.

AUGUST Maybe we shouldn’t have come back to port after the attack.

FELIX Appreciate you saying so.

WALTER (O.S.) Don’t move!

Walter stalks toward them, a MAUSER pistol leveled uneasily at August.

INT. LORELEI - BARRACKS - DAY

Muted CLINKING leaks in from the ceiling as Rose lays asleep in a bunk. Her eyes snap open. She sits up and serenely scans the room. Dozens of barren beds surround her, thin frames of metal, some stacked three high. Rose rests perched on one of these, centered over a sea of gray. The CLINKING stops. Rose lifts her gaze to the ceiling. It picks up again and she throws her feet over the edge, climbs down the desolate tower.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 124

At the foot, the beds are extremely close together, but Rose’s small frame let her pass without issue.

She slinks by a number of beds, stopping right before a bulkhead. She reaches out and turns the lock.

INT. LORELEI - MESS HALL - DAY

Rose steps into the room, eyes glued on the ceiling, as the CLINKING grows louder. She passes empty tables and chairs, some of which lay strewn on the floor. A few bowls of food sit on the counter, behind which a small bulkhead rest in the wall, at eye level.

A CLATTER as she stumbles over an overturned chair. She regains her balance, ignoring the obstacle, and glances back up. She crosses to a bulkhead in the opposite wall.

INT. LORELEI - REAR HALL - DAY

The CLINKING is much louder, permeating through the bulkhead leading to the engine room. Rose approaches.

Stopping at the door, she brings her head forward and presses an ear delicately against the metal. Her legs slowly give and she lowers herself to the floor, head dragging along the door, hair catching in its grooves.

Leaning, huddled, against the metal, she shuts her eyes.

INT. LORELEI - ENGINE ROOM - DAY

Gillie works a gear of the machine with her wrench. The rest twitch weakly as the pistons inside CRASH together. She struggles, clenching her jaw as the wrench locks. Her vision fractures, jumps.

GILLIE (muttering; in Romani) Don’t stop now you rusted pile of-

Suddenly, the gear SNAPS away, CLATTERING to the floor.

Gillie stumbles and falls to her knees as the machine WHIRS much quicker, but doesn’t catch onto the gear system. Gradually, the whole thing GRINDS to a halt before Gillie.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 125

Her rapid BREATHING returns to normal as she wipes her forehead, smudging it with inky grease. She catches sight of her blackened hand and wipes it dismissively across her shirt. It BUMPS into something.

Intrigued, she searches, retrieves Walter’s FLASK. Her expression softens, becomes unreadable. She opens it. Suddenly, she closes it, TAPS the base against her palm.

Her eyes snap to the machine. She swipes the gear and HAMMERS it into place with the bottom of the flask. It CLICKS. She cautiously backs away. It remains in place.

She tosses the flask aside and grabs the wrench.

GILLIE (CONT’D) Even his flask is more useful than he is.

CLINKING metal fills the silence as she continues her work on the gears.

EXT. HARBOR - DAY

Felix and August cautiously lift their hands. Walter’s gaze darts between them.

WALTER Are you two with the Germans?

FELIX I don’t have an answer to this one.

August flashes a glare at him.

WALTER Honesty.

AUGUST We’re not with any nation taking part in the war. We never were.

WALTER No, you’re with the Germans. You’re trying to frame me for the attack!

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 126

FELIX Are you insane?!

The gun goes back to Felix.

FELIX (CONT’D) You were screaming at us in German! You practically framed yourself!

Walter glances to August, who nods slowly.

Walter’s composure melts away as he draws the gun down, off of Felix. August and Felix lower their hands. They take a few steps toward Walter.

FELIX (CONT’D) Hand over the gun.

Walter glances at Felix, diverts his gaze.

FELIX (CONT’D) Don’t do something you’ll regret.

Walter flips the gun, turning it over hilt first. Felix swipes it, EJECTING the clip as he turns away.

AUGUST (to Walter) We’re still taking you to Gillie, but stay in front of us. No sudden movements.

Walter nods sullenly and turns away. August watches him as Felix steps up, presenting the gun.

FELIX Standard issue in the German military. Any chance it’s stolen?

AUGUST Plenty better to steal nowadays.

FELIX Witch hunt’s bad enough without the paranoia being warranted. 127

INT. LORELEI - ENGINE ROOM - DAY

Gillie hugs the machine, her hand lodged down a narrow shaft. She cringes, arm straining against the tight space. Suddenly, she lets out a restrained CRY, strikes the machine angrily with her free hand. She takes a BREATH, clenches her jaw, and shuts her eyes. A sudden CLICK and the mechanism HUMS to life.

Gillie retracts her arm. Her hand catches in the shaft. She pulls harder, face scrunched in pain. She suddenly falls backward, just as the HUMMING increases to a WHIR. The engine VIBRATES at full capacity. She props herself on her elbow, watches with wide eyes as the components move in tandem. Wincing, she looks to her freed hand, a fresh cut on the back seeping with BLOOD. She staggers to her feet, searching the room anxiously. Her eyes land on the door and she timidly approaches, CLANGING on it with her clean hand.

GILLIE Hello?! It’s working!

She glances back to the engine nervously.

GILLIE (CONT’D) It should be working.

She scans the room once more, gaze landing on a VENT built into the ceiling.

GILLIE (CONT’D) (to vent) Is it working?! I think... Everything should be working!

The WHIRRING becomes SHRILL. Metal CLANGS together within the machine. Gillie throws an anxious glance at it as the bulkhead behind her slips open. Rose steps daintily over the threshold.

Her eyes dart to the flask, sitting a few feet before her.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 128

She picks it up, turning it over meticulously, face blank. Her attention snaps to Gillie and she creeps forward, tucking the flask into her pocket. Gillie lifts her hands to call but drops them, resigned.

She turns and jumps back as she almost collides with Rose, who remains fixed in her spot.

GILLIE (CONT’D) Where did you come from?!

Rose locks her gaze on Gillie’s wound. Gillie hides it behind her back, her expression softening.

GILLIE (CONT’D) (confused) Are you lost?

Rose whips around, heads for the bulkhead.

GILLIE (CONT’D) Wait---

Gillie throws a glance at the engine, still working furiously. She hurries after Rose.

INT. LORELEI - REAR HALL - DAY

Rose awaits Gillie, continues down the hall as Gillie stops to scan the surroundings. Her gaze lands on Rose.

GILLIE Hey!

She sprints forward, keeping pace once she reaches her.

GILLIE (CONT’D) Why won’t you talk to me?

Rose keeps her eyes glued ahead.

GILLIE (CONT’D) Will you please just say something?

She places her bloodied hand on Roses shoulder. Rose snatches it. Gillie rips it away, wincing with pain.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 129

Turning to each other, Gillie glares at her wound as Rose looks to her own hand, smeared with blood. She suddenly withdraws it, continuing down the hall. Gillie drops her hand and follows.

In the middle of the hall, Rose reaches up, grabs the foot of a metal LADDER. She pulls and it CLANGS to the floor. She watches Gillie, who glances up the ladder, back to Rose.

Cautiously, Gillie grabs one of the bars and ascends. A few feet up, she glances back. Rose takes the ladder and follows. Gillie looks up, bites her lip, and continues.

INT. LORELEI - BRIDGE - DAY

Gillie lifts herself from the hole onto solid ground. She takes a step forward as she looks around, mouth agape.

Rose emerges behind Gillie, slips by as she stands in shock. Gillie’s gaze snaps to Rose as she passes an enormous window revealing the depths of the green ocean. Beams of light cut through the murkiness, expose fish that scurry by the glass.

Gillie approaches the window, reaches out with her clean hand to the glass. Rose returns to her side, watches with her. She takes Gillie’s hand off the glass and leads her by the wrist to the back of the room. The two approach Amelia, engulfed in her work at one of the blocky CONSOLES that make up the back area. She glances up at them.

AMELIA She cause any trouble?

GILLIE No. I just couldn’t---

Amelia glares at Gillie as she takes Rose’s bloody hand in hers, scrutinizes it. Gillie’s face flashes pink.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 130

AMELIA (to Gillie) You’re hurt.

Gillie glances at her hand.

GILLIE Got caught in the engine.

Amelia whispers silently to Rose, who passes into the back. Gillie watches her disappear into shadow.

GILLIE (CONT’D) (quietly) Is she okay?

Amelia glances at Gillie dismissively before turning back to her work.

GILLIE (CONT’D) Okay.

Rose returns, a BOTTLE, a RAG, and a roll of GAUZE in hand. She sets them on a console beside Gillie.

GILLIE (CONT’D) What’re you---

Rose takes Gillie’s hand and pours the bottle over it. Gillie represses a CRY.

AMELIA The systems checked out. We have movement.

Gillie recovers, locks eyes with Amelia.

GILLIE Then take me back.

AMELIA Why do you want to go back?

Rose wipes away the blood.

GILLIE Because my life is there.

AMELIA What life?

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 131

GILLIE My home. My job, my friend---

She cringes as Rose applies gauze to the cut.

AMELIA The port’s a slum. Your boss is a drunk. And your friend is...

GILLIE What?

Gillie retracts her hand from Rose. The gauze hangs off.

GILLIE (CONT’D) What about Quentin?

AMELIA (dismissively) She died in the fire. There was nothing we could have done.

GILLIE You could have told me!

AMELIA You were hurt. We didn’t want to put you under more stress.

GILLIE You didn’t want me distracted while I repaired your ship! I can’t...

She collapses to the floor, hands holding her head as tears stream down her cheeks.

Rose takes her wounded hand gently, continues to apply the gauze to the cut.

EXT. MAIN STREET - DAY Young, scrawny SAILORS scamper between buildings, replacing the townspeople who dominated the street before. They move hurriedly but wear smiles, enjoying their surroundings.

Walter navigates between them, pace measured and head down. Felix follows, keeping his sight glued to him. August stays beside him, calibrating the Mauser.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 132

FELIX (to August) Put that thing away.

AUGUST I never seen one up close.

FELIX And if anyone else does, we’ll be hung for the attack.

August lowers the gun, watches Felix.

AUGUST You hate the Germans?

FELIX Not "the Germans", just drunk Germans that point guns at me!

AUGUST He was scared.

FELIX He was sauced.

AUGUST He’s unarmed now. Should be completely harmless.

August holsters the gun just as Walter bolts down the street. Felix’s attention snaps to him, they pursue. Walter jumps a man with a Bowler Hat, drags him to the dirt. He pins the man, STRIKES his face as the hat falls off.

Bowler struggles against Walter, but cannot defend himself. Felix and August drag Walter away as he flails at Bowler.

WALTER Let me go you bastards! It was him!

August approaches Bowler as he snatches the hat and stumbles to his feet. He glimpses SCARS and BURNS on Bowler’s face.

AUGUST I’m very sorry. He’s drunk and doesn’t know what he’s saying.

August glances back as Felix drags Walter into an alley. He offers Bowler a rushed smile before following after them. 133

EXT. ALLEY - DAY Felix pins Walter against the wall of a shadowy building. August approaches, Mauser raised, and presses the barrel against Walter’s head. He stops struggling.

AUGUST Okay, your turn. The hell are you doing? Are you with the Germans?!

WALTER Of course not!

FELIX That supposed to be obvious?

August presses the barrel into Walter.

AUGUST And how long have you been out?

WALTER What?

AUGUST If you aren’t with them now, how long since you were?

Walter recoils, eyes darting between Felix and August.

WALTER I don’t know. A year, or two.

AUGUST Which is it?!

FELIX It doesn’t matter, August. Whatever’s wrong with him, he’s not worth the risk.

WALTER Wait, please!

AUGUST Better off for the port in general.

August COCKS the Mauser.

WALTER (weakly) Stop.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 134

Walter bows his head, SOBS softly.

AUGUST Honesty.

WALTER I hate them. I hate talking about them, I hate remembering them.

August backs the gun off Walter but keeps it aimed.

WALTER (CONT’D) They took everything from me. Left me here to die.

August glances to Felix, who keeps his attention on Walter.

FELIX Why did you attack that man?

WALTER I saw him right before the explosion. He was hiding his face, acting suspicious.

AUGUST He’s deformed Walter. Just trying to get across town.

Walter bows his head once more, lets it hang limp.

AUGUST (CONT’D) You’re a fool Walter.

He drops the Mauser.

AUGUST (CONT’D) But you’re an honest fool.

Walter looks to August with weary smile, as Felix watches him with an unconvinced frown.

FELIX Are you sure about this?

AUGUST (to Walter) This is your last chance to make it to Gillie. Anything else happens, you may never seeing her again.

Walter nods hastily, stepping away from the wall and adjusting his jacket. 135

EXT. ROWBOAT - DAY The vessel is spacious but CREAKS with strain. Rose sits at the bow, gaze fixed forward as Gillie watches blankly from the stern. Amelia PADDLES measuredly from the center. Amelia glances behind her, to Rose.

AMELIA Rose.

Rose mechanically draws the hood of her cloak over her head. Amelia turns back to Gillie.

AMELIA (CONT’D) How’s your hand?

GILLIE Stings.

AMELIA Keeps it healthy.

GILLIE Don’t pretend you helped.

Amelia glances back to the sliver of shore, to Gillie.

AMELIA You know what you’ll do? When you’re back?

GILLIE Go back to work. Hope my job’s still there.

AMELIA You’re not worried it was actually an attack?

GILLIE It’s as safe a place as any.

AMELIA Walter will understand---

GILLIE No. He won’t. And please stop acting like you do.

A light SPLASH. Amelia whips to face the bow. Rose lays on the edge, her hand dangling into the boat’s wake. Amelia turns back to Gillie.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 136

AMELIA She was like family?

Gillie glares at Amelia.

AMELIA (CONT’D) I’m sorry. Family’s always a difficult thing to lose.

Gillie’s glare softens as she glances to Rose.

GILLIE She’s lost?

AMELIA Not entirely. Not yet.

GILLIE What happened?

AMELIA Our father hid her. I found her.

GILLIE Can you help her?

AMELIA I’m not sure anymore.

EXT. BAY - DAY Amelia and Gillie DRAG the rowboat up a sandy inlet. Rose follows, scanning the decrepit buildings nearby. The BUSTLE of the town is muted, distant. Amelia drops the boat, looks around carefully as she draws her cloak over her head, matching Rose.

Gillie follows her gaze across the silent surroundings.

AMELIA I suppose I never thanked you.

Gillie turns as Amelia reaches behind herself. Her hand grazes the snub nose in her belt.

AMELIA (CONT’D) I hope this makes up for it.

She offers a small stack of BILLS. Gillie’s eyes widen for a split second. As she reaches out, Amelia draws her other hand back, to her belt.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 137

GILLIE Thank---

An EXPLOSION tears through one of the buildings, throwing Amelia, Gillie, and Rose into the sand.

Splinters and flame rain down around them as they frantically search the area, eyes darting. Amelia jumps to her feet and rushes forward, to Rose.

Just before her, a horde of CLOAKED MEN emerge from the smoke. A few intercept Amelia, restraining her. The others lunge at Rose, dragging her up off the sand. Gillie bolts to her feet. She takes in the scene, gaze landing on the bills a few feet in front of her. Amelia struggles against the men but Rose is defenseless. The Men drag her from the shore to the charred building. Gillie snatches the money and dashes to the cover of an intact building, away from the cloaked Men. Amelia recovers, glimpses Gillie disappear into shadow.

AMELIA Gillie!

The Men attack. Amelia blocks but a second STRIKE lands. Her guard falls and two more connect. She collapses. One Man KICKS her in the stomach. She WRETCHES violently.

They leave her, retreat with the others who drag Rose into the black smoke, SCREAMING and CHOKING.

ROSE Amelia! AMELIA!

Amelia lifts herself to her feet, sand clinging to her face.

AMELIA (hoarse) Rose!

Flames CRACKLE as Amelia watches the building deteriorate. 138

INT. ABANDONED BUILDING - DAY Gillie bolts through the main hall, her feet SLAPPING against the concrete floor. Shadows dance across her face as sunlight leaks through the patched ceiling. She suddenly stops, centered in the corridor. Her gaze darts around, panicked, as she GASPS for air.

ROSE (O.S.) (faint) Amelia!

Gillie’s attention snaps down the hall. She creeps forward but quickly catches herself.

She drops her gaze to the bills in her hand. Her fingers curl tighter around them.

ROSE (O.S.) (CONT’D) (closer) Amelia!

Gillie cringes, pushes the hair back from her face. Her vision fractures.

GILLIE (muttering; in Romani) I can’t. She’ll die anyway.

ROSE (O.S.) HELP!

Gillie drops her hand and rushes down the hall, continuing to the back. She breaks into a sprint.

EXT. ABANDONED BUILDING - DAY Gillie bursts into the street, gaze sweeping as she takes in her surroundings. In the distance, fires continue to ROAR.

ROSE (O.S.) Amelia!

Gillie bolts to the noise. She rounds the first corner, glimpses a small CROWD creeping toward the destruction. Without hesitation, she advances, pushing between the onlookers and ignoring their questioning looks. As the herd thins, she spots one cloaked Man vanishing down a side street. She INHALES sharply, and pursues. 139

EXT. WAREHOUSE - DAY The structure is isolated from the other derelict buildings, surrounded by small scrap fields and dirty roads. The walls crumble and the windows sport thin cracks and chips.

Gillie eyes it from the cover of a nearby alley, glancing to the cloaked Men as they steadily approach it. The marauders shove Rose toward the entrance, now gagged with a torn CLOTH.

As she enters, she is swallowed by shadow. The Men disappear behind her, the last SLAMMING the heavy door behind him. Gillie bites her lip, turns back down the alley.

EXT. BAY - DAY The crowd fights to contain the fires as more CIVILIANS pour into the area. Among them are Felix, August, and Walter.

They watch as the fire RAGES, taking in the scene with somber silence. Felix glances up the beach. He suddenly takes off, away from the fire. August and Walter notice, follow him.

The three approach Amelia, heavily bruised and struggling to drag the rowboat into the tide on her own.

FELIX What the hell happened?

Amelia keeps her focus glued to the boat.

AMELIA They took Rose.

FELIX What? Who?!

AMELIA I didn’t see. Could’ve been anyone.

WALTER The Germans?

FELIX (to Amelia) Ignore him.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 140

He glares at Walter, the SCRAPING of the rowboat emphasizing the sudden silence.

AUGUST (to Amelia) What are you doing?

AMELIA Cover more ground with the boat.

FELIX And what’ll you do when you find her? Hope they beat you long enough for her to sneak away?

He steps in front and catches the boat, stopping it. Amelia whips the snub nose from her belt and levels it at him.

AMELIA Get out of my way or I’ll show you.

Felix drops the boat, but stands his ground.

WALTER Gillie!

Everyone follows Walter’s gaze, to Gillie exiting a narrow alley. She glances over the area, quickly spotting them.

FELIX (to Amelia) Where’s she been?

Amelia drops the gun off Felix and turns, awaiting Gillie.

WALTER Gillie, it’s good to see you still on your feet.

Gillie stops, flashes Walter a quick, soft smile.

AMELIA (to Gillie) Where’d you run off to?

GILLIE I followed the men who attacked us. I saw where they took her.

AMELIA You know the exact place?

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 141

GILLIE It’s not far.

AMELIA (to Felix) We need to go, now.

FELIX We don’t have a plan! How do you expect this to not end in disaster?

GILLIE I’m sure some soldiers aboard your ship would be willing to help.

Amelia glances to Gillie. Felix pulls her back to face him.

FELIX We have no allies or money either. If things go south, it’s just us and the last of our bullets.

GILLIE I don’t... Why is there nothing aboard your ship?

WALTER It’s stolen.

Felix and Amelia eye Walter.

WALTER (CONT’D) You’re not with any nation taking part in the war. Never were.

AMELIA And never will be. But I’m gonna keep the damn sub because it’s the only place I can keep Rose safe!

She snaps her gaze to Gillie, narrow with frustration.

AMELIA (CONT’D) Are you gonna help me get her back to it or not?

Gillie scans the others, standing silently by Amelia. She turns and points back toward the alley.

GILLIE This way.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 142

WALTER (worried) What?

August puts a hand on his shoulder, guiding him.

AUGUST Come on.

Amelia and Felix follow together.

AMELIA Please tell me you have a plan.

FELIX Only the start of a very bad one.

INT. WAREHOUSE - HOLDING ROOM - DAY Light spills into the dreary room from the small holes punched into the wall. Water DRIPS from similar holes in the ceiling. A mound of hay forms a makeshift bed in the corner.

Rose STUMBLES through the door. Bowler follows her as two other Men take post outside. He grabs her shoulder and briskly pats her down. She flinches under the strain.

Bowler flips her to face him, turns out her pockets. She glimpses his face, scarred and burned. She quickly glances away, face going pale.

Bowler notices, stops searching as he locks eye contact. Suddenly, he sneers as he removes the flask from her pocket. He turns it over in his hand before pocketing it himself. A SLAP on the wall dismisses the guards and Rose is left with Bowler. He removes the gag from her mouth. He paces before her as she refuses to acknowledge him.

BOWLER Nothing we’ve done was with the intention of harming you. All we want is what was stolen. We need to know where the sub is.

Rose’s silence stops his pacing.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 143

BOWLER (CONT’D) Please be reasonable. It needs to be returned to those who built it. If it’s not, others could be hurt.

Rose looks to him, eyes narrow, but mouth shut. He SIGHS.

BOWLER (CONT’D) I won’t let you waste my time like this. Your father will be arriving soon. He’ll get the location from you one way or another.

Rose drops her composure. Her eyes dart around the room, wide with panic. Bowler steps just before her. Her gaze drops to his feet.

BOWLER (CONT’D) We could release you before he got here. But I know he’s been dying to see you put back where you rightfully belong.

Rose glances away, her gaze still down, hopeless.

EXT. WAREHOUSE - DAY

A KNOCK on the metal door creates muffled ECHOES. The view slot SLAMS open as dark, narrow eyes look out. Gillie stands outside, glancing around nervously.

GILLIE Germans have just been spotted off the coast, mister. All available hands need to report to the shoreline immediately.

WALTER (O.S.) (distant) Burn it down! Burn it all down!

Gillie looks away, bolts in the opposite direction.

The eyes watch her leave. The slot SLAMS shut. Slowly, the door CREAKS open. A lanky GUARD tentatively steps out of the shadows, raising a large REVOLVER. He peeks around the door, where Gillie had left.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 144

August grabs him from the other side, twisting his wrist and SLAMMING his head into the edge of the door. It CRACKS.

August lowers him to the ground, waiting for Amelia, Walter, Gillie, and Felix to enter before dragging him behind them.

INT. WAREHOUSE - MAIN HALL - DAY

The hall is dingy and empty. Wind WHISPERS through a series of small cracks in the walls and ceiling. August drops the Guard in the middle of the group’s small circle.

FELIX Plan is to split off, cover more ground. Me and August will take this main hall. You three, try one of the sides.

Amelia, Walter, and Gillie nod but August eyes the Guard. He kneels and swipes a KEY from around his neck.

As he pockets it, he also grabs the Guard’s gun, offering it to Gillie. Somberly, she accepts it with both hands. August looks to Walter, stiffly removes the Mauser from his belt and offers it to him, a slight glare in his eye.

Walter smiles meekly as he takes it. Felix silently shuffles to Amelia.

FELIX August and I will get Rose. Once we have her, we’ll set a distraction to escape. Use it as cover to take out Gillie and Walter.

AMELIA What?

FELIX They know about the sub. And a lot more than we usually tolerate at that. We can’t risk them learning anything else.

Amelia glances at her victims, drops her gaze.

FELIX (CONT’D) Amelia, if it were just you we could chance it, but I will not put Rose back in danger right after we’ve gotten her back.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 145

Amelia raises her head, nods to Felix. Felix draws his gun and slips further down the hall. August follows, unholstering his own gun. Amelia raises her hood and turns to Gillie and Walter. She retrieves the snub nose from her belt and approaches a side door down the hall, beckoning them.

She pushes it open, revealing a similar, narrower hall. Gillie and Walter follow as she crosses the threshold. August and Felix turn a corner. Muffled VOICES greet them.

Further down, a small group of cloaked Men lean against the tattered walls, invested in their CONVERSATION. August and Felix glance at one another. August slides his gun back into its holster.

Felix watches but remains still. August nods to his revolver, frowning. Felix SIGHS and puts it away. They continue, lowering their heads and slipping by the Men. They receive a few glances but never make eye contact. The VOICES grow distant, uninterrupted by their passing.

INT. WAREHOUSE - SIDE HALL - DAY

Amelia leads the way down the claustrophobic path. Many more doors litter these walls but are all bolted shut. Gillie follows close but Walter remains considerably behind. He eyes each door nervously as he passes. Amelia slows at an intersection in the hall. She continues left and Gillie matches her pace. Walter suddenly stops. He approaches one of the doors.

He pulls the tattered handle, revealing a narrow stairwell leading down. Smiling, he turns back to the empty hall. The smile fades as he advances uneasily, scanning the area.

His gaze drops to the Mauser in his hand. Measuredly, he returns to the alcove, eyes the shadowy base of the stairs. He levels the gun, steps hesitantly onto the CREAKING plank. 146

INT. WAREHOUSE - BASEMENT HALL - DAY The hall is filthier than those upstairs. Hay is strewn about randomly amid mounds of dirt and scraps of moldy food. Walter exits the stairwell, treading delicately on the concrete floor, and eyes the cluttered passage. Doors line the wall, closed except for one ajar at the end. He creeps forward, Mauser trained on the light pouring through the gap. A few shadows dance from the other side. He finally rests a hand on the door, raises the gun, and pushes it open. The wood SCRAPES against the hard floor.

INT. WAREHOUSE - HOLDING ROOM - DAY Walter’s gaze immediately lands on Rose, huddled against the opposite wall. She looks at him with wide, tearful eyes. They suddenly dart to his right. He follows them, finds himself face to face with Bowler. Walter takes aim but Bowler SMACKS the gun from his hand. It SLIDES to Rose, who recoils as Bowler grabs Walter.

The two men fall to the ground, Bowler staying on the offensive but Walter blocking his repeated STRIKES. Rose watches the two, eyes darting back and forth as BLOWS are exchanged. The Mauser suddenly grabs her attention.

She inches to it as Bowler throws Walter against the wall. His focus snaps back to Rose. He stalks to her as she freezes, guard down. Bowler KICKS her in the face, knocking her back.

She holds her face, writhing on the floor, as Bowler watches. Walter suddenly strikes from behind.

INT. WAREHOUSE - MAIN HALL - DAY August and Felix inch down the hall, their guns redrawn. Felix whips out a hand, stopping August, and gestures further down to the wall.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 147

At the end of the passage is a staircase leading down. The two sprint forward, guns raised and heads up, alert.

They eye the dark descent. Felix nods to August, who takes his first step down.

INT. WAREHOUSE - BASEMENT HALL - DAY

August finds himself standing before an enormous door with a thick, metal lock fastening it solidly to the wall. He studies the barrier as Felix arrives behind him. Both analyze each component, silently stunned.

Felix finally raises his gun, flashes August a knowing look. As Felix takes aim at the lock, August rests a hand on the chamber, presents the key he had taken from the Guard. Felix nods and takes aim at the center of the door. August TINKERS with the lock. It CLICKS open. The dim hallway light spills in as the door swings open. It lands on towering stacks of DYNAMITE and boxes of GUNPOWDER. Felix and August stand in awe.

August glances back and quickly pushes the barrel of Felix’s gun away from the room. He looks to August, who casts one more look across the explosives. Satisfied, he turns back to the hall.

Felix does the same, tenderly closing the door behind him.

INT. WAREHOUSE - HOLDING ROOM - DAY

Bowler shoves Walter, against a wall. He attacks relentlessly, Walter unable to parry any of the STRIKES. Bowler blocks a feeble counter and throws him aside.

Walter lifts his battered head off the concrete to see Rose huddled in a corner, BLOOD oozing from her nose and mouth. He INHALES, whips around to throw a punch as Bowler approaches. It CONNECTS.

Bowler STUMBLES back, more shocked than hurt. The flask dips out of his pocket as he wavers. Walter’s eyes lock onto the flask as he stands.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 148

WALTER How did you get that?

BOWLER It’s yours? (RE: Rose) That’s precious.

Walter catches Bowler’s gaze, charges him with teeth bared. His attacks are fast but clumsy, easily blocked. With one solid counter, Bowler knocks him to the ground. Walter lifts himself off the concrete, but immediately collapses with a dull THUD. Bowler watches, grinning. He takes the flask from his pocket and opens it, approaching Rose. He tips it over and pours the liquid onto her. She CRIES out as the liquor SPLASHES around her.

WALTER Leave her out of this you bastard!

BOWLER She’s worthless. A mistake.

The flask CLATTERS to the ground. Bowler kneels beside Rose, BOOK OF MATCHES in hand. A SOB escapes her.

INT. WAREHOUSE - SIDE HALL - DAY Amelia and Gillie progress down the hall, hugging the wall.

Faint SHOUTING stops them. Gillie passes Amelia, moving toward the source of the noise.

GILLIE It’s Walter.

They hurry down the hall, scanning the walls carefully. A shadowy alcove stops them. The SHOUTING echoes from this, up a flight of rickety stairs.

Gillie looks to Amelia, who raises her gun to lead the way. 149

INT. WAREHOUSE - BASEMENT HALL - DAY The SHOUTING is significantly louder as the two exit the stairway. They quickly spot the open room and close in. Amelia gently opens the door entirely and peeks inside.

INT. WAREHOUSE - HOLDING ROOM - DAY Bowler stands from his position beside Rose, STRIKES the match. Walter strains, pushing himself off the ground. Amelia slides into the room and FIRES. The bullet goes into the wall, startling Bowler. The match falls. It catches the liquor, igniting it. Gillie bolts into the room and rips Rose away from the puddle. She bats away the flames that lick at Rose’s clothes. Bowler recovers, levels his own gun at Amelia. His hat has fallen off. The flames light his face. THIS MAN IS SIMON.

He freezes for a beat as he spots Amelia, giving her time to train her snub nose on him. Walter, Gillie, and Rose watch as Simon scans them.

SIMON Amelia, ever the guardian of the outcast.

AMELIA You and father do keep it interesting.

SIMON Let me simplify it: your lives for the sub.

AMELIA Never.

SIMON It’s an honest fact Amelia. That machine could end this war!

Gillie’s attention snaps to Simon.

AMELIA At what cost?

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 150

SIMON Have you been paying attention?! The world needs this to end. Any cost is acceptable.

AMELIA You’re starting to sound like him.

SIMON Is he wrong?! This is the only thing that could turn the tide so there can be a victor. What are your lives, measured against---

A CRACK from Amelia’s snub nose stops him. His head snaps back and he crumples to the floor.

Rose bolts to Amelia, who escorts her from the room. Gillie snaps out of her shock to help Walter to his feet.

INT. WAREHOUSE - BASEMENT HALL - DAY

A CRACK stops August and Felix as they sneak down the hall. They reflexively glance back. A small group of cloaked Men scurry down the hall, guns bared, sights trained on the interlopers.

Felix and August take cover in an alcove, return FIRE. Bullets STRIKE around them, forcing them to cover. Amelia, Rose, Gillie, and Walter suddenly enter the fray, their retreat leading them to the middle of the EXCHANGE.

Walter reflexively fires a SHOT toward the cloaked Men. It finds its target. The next moment, the four retreat back behind the cover of the side hall. Walter lays down suppressing FIRE. August and Felix take advantage of this, advance up the hall to meet the others.

AMELIA (to Felix) What now?!

She covers her head as bullets STRIKE beside her. Felix eyes Walter, takes aim. A hand shoves the barrel away as it DISCHARGES.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 151

Felix turns to Rose, who watches him blankly. Walter’s Mauser CLICKS, jams.

WALTER Shit!

Felix’s attention snaps to Amelia.

FELIX Take everyone down this hall. August, bring up the rear. I need to get behind them.

AMELIA What?!

FELIX You really should stop coming to me for plans.

He FIRES a few rounds down the hall. Amelia sneaks from behind the cover and retreats the opposite way.

Rose, Gillie, and Walter follow, with August FIRING from the rear. Felix slips back behind his cover. He holds position as the cloaked Men sprint after the others. He sneaks behind them, bolts the opposite way.

EXT. WAREHOUSE - DAY Amelia bursts through the door, it SLAMS against the wall. The others follow, distancing themselves from the structure.

Amelia suddenly whips around.

AMELIA (to August) Felix!

The warehouse IGNITES in flame. The shock knocks the five into the sand. Smoking debris showers around them. Amelia lifts herself up, looks to the ruined building.

A figure slowly rises from the sand, near the entrance: Felix, his clothes singed and his face coated in ash. He hobbles over to the five, helps them up. All standing, the six retreat from the shattered structure. 152

INT. LORELEI - INFIRMARY - DAY

The large room has a number of beds lining each wall. The sheets have been stripped off, and the cabinets sit open, showcasing their emptiness. Little else clutters the space.

Felix sits on one of the mattresses, tenderly wrapping his arm in gauze. His charred jacket lies beside him. August enters from behind, shuts the door with a CLANK. Felix glances at him.

FELIX Do we know anything yet about those people I killed? Even how many there were?

August flashes a weak smile.

AUGUST I think Amelia wants to deal with our new friends first.

FELIX I don’t like the faith you put in her when she keeps us in the dark.

AUGUST Is it any different from the faith you put in Gillie when you brought her here?

FELIX I didn’t know how far out of her depth Gillie would be. With Amelia, it’s painfully clear.

August diverts his gaze as Felix refocuses on the gauze.

AUGUST What do you think she’ll do? With the others?

FELIX She’ll try to keep them on board. Join the crew.

AUGUST Doesn’t sound so bad.

FELIX We’re not a crew August! We’re criminals. If they don’t stay, we (MORE) (CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 153

FELIX (cont’d) silence them. We aren’t taking new recruits. We’re taking hostages.

August holds Felix’s gaze, retreats back to the door.

INT. LORELEI - AMELIA’S ROOM - DAY

Amelia sits on her bed as Gillie stands before her, shock and disbelief mixing on her face.

GILLIE But... you already brought me back. I don’t understand. What changed?

AMELIA Nothing---

GILLIE So you were always going to take me with you, against my will?

AMELIA No, my plan was to kill you once you’d performed the repairs.

Gillie recoils, breaks eye contact.

GILLIE You think that’d work better?

Amelia shakes her head.

AMELIA Not better. Simpler...

A desperate LAUGH escapes Gillie.

GILLIE I’m a hostage?

AMELIA Accomplice. Maybe even criminal at this point.

GILLIE I’ve done nothing wrong!

AMELIA If any of those men survived the explosion, their story is the only one the authorities will have. And you’re on the wrong side of it.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 154

Gillie holds her face in her hand.

GILLIE Does Walter know?

INT. LORELEI - BRIDGE - DAY

The room is dark, minimal light catching off the water outside and dancing across the consoles. Walter sits at one of these consoles, quietly FIDDLING with a set of switches built into the interface. The room slowly HUMS to life, a few lights in the ceiling flicker on. Walter’s attention shifts to his surroundings. His gaze lands on Rose, now standing a few feet to his side. He recoils slightly, shock flashing across his face.

Rose watches him with a blank expression as he glances back to the console, rubs the scab forming over his split lip. She turns to leave. Walter glimpses her singed clothing.

WALTER I’m sorry, about the fire. I never meant for anything like that to happen.

Rose looks back. Walter meets her gaze. The scab on his lip is gone, and a thin trail of blood appears.

She takes a few tentative steps toward him, reaches out, sleeve stretched over her hand, and wipes away the blood. Walter drops his gaze, turns to the console once more.

Rose slowly retracts her hand, turns, and exits, leaving Walter in calm silence.

EXT. WAREHOUSE - DAY

Rubble stands in place of the ragged building. A few fires BURN in the debris. Ash floats on the breeze. MORGAN, a clean-shaven, older man in a dark suit, treks through the ruins, flanked by similarly dressed MEN.

The Men peel off, continue through the destruction as Morgan comes to a halt in front of a figure in tattered clothes.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 155

MORGAN What is this?

The figure turns: Simon, holding a bloody RAG to his cheek.

SIMON Amelia got in the way.

MORGAN How could you possibly let her do all this?

SIMON I didn’t let her---

MORGAN She wasn’t supposed to be anywhere near here. Unless she’s actively trying to make you uglier, this is your mistake.

SIMON I did what I could with what you gave me. She was irrational. She tried to kill me!

A THUMP a few yards away. They look over to see a hand reaching out from the rubble, clawing at the debris.

One of Morgan’s men approaches, starts digging.

MORGAN The longer she stays on that sub, the more irrational she will behave. You need to anticipate it, counter it. She’s not one of us anymore. Your mother’s accepted that, you need to as well.

SIMON But she’s not lost. We can still help her.

Morgan flashes an oily smile.

MORGAN Of course. But we can’t copy her mistakes. She’s making this about herself, ignoring the tolls her actions are taking on the world. We can’t stop working for a complete end. For peace!

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED: 156

SIMON But, what if we can’t get her to come around?

MORGAN She isn’t a fool Simon. She can understand why it’s in her interest to come home. She’s just confused.

A gunshot RINGS out next to them.

Morgan’s Man holds a smoking gun to the hole he’d been digging. The hand dangles limply from it.

SIMON What are you doing?!

MORGAN Fixing your mistake as best I can.

Simon glances forlornly to the body.

MORGAN (CONT’D) Don’t worry. I’d never take such measures with you, or Amelia.

He turns and walks off, leaving Simon alone in the ruins. More GUNSHOTS. Simon flinches, drops his gaze to the ash. 157

Upon completing the pilot for Sub Culture, I felt a disconnection between the research I had done and the creative project itself. So much of the script changed from my initial plan, yet I struggled to find the changes connecting back to my analysis.

Instead, every change I made seemed only to be in service of the logic and drama of the story. However, when I went back and reviewed my research, I found that each element I studied was either explored in my script or, much more common, the idea was planted in order to be elaborated upon in subsequent episodes. It was then that I realized I had built upon my research subconsciously. The research therefore allowed me to focus on the story and make it as unique as possible because I did not have to concentrate on the aspects that made it more structured and relatable—that work had already been done. I believe that the foundations of my research increased the quality of the script and made me a better writer in general. I am now able to use this knowledge as part of my writing process, and as part of who I am as a writer.

To elaborate, the first element I had to address was rationalizing Amelia’s uncompromising behavior since she is not the primary protagonist of the pilot and little time was available to explore her somewhat erratic decisions. This was done in a similar vein to the pilot “Serenity”: with a teaser. Before the events of the pilot itself, the audience is shown a more natural Amelia and witnesses the events that force the alterations to her character. This was meant to make Amelia’s rash choices more believable by subjecting the audience to the same trauma she suffered. Amelia was intended to be a darker character, and introducing her in this fashion maintains the 158

viewer’s sympathy; they understand her rationalization even though they may not agree with it.

At the start of the pilot itself, my next plan was to establish Gillie as the emotional “in” for the audience since I knew they would be introduced to a majority of the crew in tandem with her. This was done with a bit more emphasis than Kaylee and

“Serenity” because the story of this pilot afforded me more time with the “in”. I was able to do a rather simple compare/contrast where Gillie’s interactions with the Boys and the Persians portray her morality, kindness, and her openness with both, and her interactions with characters like Quentin and Walter clash with their cynicism and emotional reservation.

Throughout the first act it is established that morality is not black and white, but Gillie is simultaneously built up as a compass the audience can use to gauge other characters. By the time act one ends, before the crew is properly introduced, Gillie is grounded as the one to determine what kind of people they will be; her initial impressions of the other protagonists will heavily influence the audience’s perception of them.

The third primary step was establishing the world itself which, for a number of reasons, took a backseat to establishing the two primary characters. I tried my best to relate the war-torn world of the story through the script but for the sake of concision many descriptions were trimmed or removed outright. I believe a solid amount of quality content remained but, like Firefly, a good portion of the world-building will be reliant on the visuals that are actually incorporated into the final product. As for my 159

role as the screenwriter, I believe everything is present in the script, but I would like to have blended these descriptions a bit more with the story itself. Taking time away from the story to relay the information of the world is disruptive to the pace and can make a screenplay appear “clunky”. I do not believe there were any detractions like this with Sub Culture, but it is something I have struggled with in the past and am trying to improve on.

With character, my intention was to introduce the protagonists in a way that would foreshadow the darker stories I intend to tell in future episodes. Specifically with Amelia, it was important that the audience not simply see her as an impulsive person, but rather someone who would be uncompromising when it comes to the sub, regardless of her adversary. Therefore, I felt Amelia needed to have a goal (isolation from her family) and her pursuit of that goal needed to be the cause of her problems

(Gillie and Walter being forced to stay aboard the sub). Like Mal and Firefly, I hope this realism will connect to an audience while allowing me to pursue more mature themes, such as madness, xenophobia, and egocentrism. This dynamic between the protagonist and his/her goals is one of the most effective tools at establishing a darker tone in television. I wanted to extend the pursuit of these problematic goals to the other characters and more wholly establish this tone, which I plan to accomplish in subsequent episodes. Instead of trying to cover each character within a single episode,

I used a tactic outside Firefly and went back to Gillie, hinting at the selfish ways these autonomous characters would act. She regarded Walter’s status above her with contempt, she dropped important questions at the promise of money, and she seriously 160

considered abandoning the crew for her own personal safety. Because she was also the

“in” for the audience, these decisions revealed the moral ambiguity of the story in general, confirmed that no protagonist could be considered traditionally good by the audience, especially when dealing with money or poverty. Though each character is introduced and their behavior established, these key elements of their dynamic as a crew are related not through their interactions, but through Gillie, hopefully foreshadowing her inevitably fitting in on the sub.

As antagonists go, I was extremely paranoid of overburdening the pilot because Gillie is already at odds with the other protagonists for most of the script.

Therefore, I stuck to the more traditional approach of using these characters to emphasize an aspect of each protagonist instead, as was done with Amelia’s desperation when she shoots Simon, or Walter’s shame when he apologizes to Rose after their escape. Through Amelia and Simon’s interactions I also wanted to solidify the fact that Amelia would not budge on her stance regarding her father or the sub; her quick jump to rash decisions witnessed through her interactions with Gillie reach an apex as she shoots Simon. Simultaneously, I wanted to hint at the influence antagonists will have over the crew, similar to Jubal Early in Firefly, and give these dynamics a base for when they are revisited in later episodes.

The use of recurring antagonists is definitely something I wanted to establish with the pilot trailer involving Simon and Morgan. Even though the crew has gotten away, and Simon has been shot, these antagonists are not gone and they are not giving up. I actually wanted them more motivated now that they believe Amelia is irrational 161

and a bigger threat. There is also the establishment of Simon’s arc which, though currently underdeveloped, will unfold alongside the crew’s. For plot arcs in general, I intend to make full use of the “soft” two-parter, possibly even right after the pilot. This would be key to continue building on the motifs established in the pilot, particularly the war-time setting. I also have an idea dealing with an attack actually caused by the

Germans on Armistice Day after using the concept as a red herring in the pilot. This two-parter would let me explore the environment in a way I did not have time to in the pilot itself and I could do a follow-up that reaffirms the content of the pilot, much like

“Train Job” did with “Serenity”. This would make the show more defined, applying character behavior and motifs to another story, after the audience already has an idea of what they are; instead of establishing why the characters behave a certain way, I can now focus on showing how they behave that way and the limits of what that behavior encompasses.

The compartmentalization of episodes is the most advanced element of

Firefly’s plot structure, and the one I am most unsure about regarding Sub Culture. I believe it is a great way to show the progression of character development and flashbacks do seem to be a great place to start the process should I decide to proceed.

There is a lot of backstory I want to explore, since the original pilot dealt with the taking of the sub and the gathering of the initial crew, and it is beneficial to the narrative to relate the bulk of it as early as possible. This has the potential to easily become the first component of the compartmentalization process for Sub Culture. 162

Looking more broadly at ensemble crew programs outside of Firefly, I think key elements were explored in Sub Culture but, because they are more encompassing of shows as a whole and not just the pilot, were not developed as entirely as is usually seen. There are not many instances of the “bubble” society or sense of family, for example, because the majority of the story focused on an outsider (Gillie) coming into the fold, so her arc stretches from the primary society to the fringe society of the sub, which does not begin until the end of the pilot script.

What I tried to do however, was glimpse what would become the family dynamic Gillie joins through the interactions between Amelia and Rose. Because they are blood related, and Amelia is a more primary character in the pilot, it seemed more natural to catch intimate moments between them then try to force the entire society of the crew together before Gillie and Walter were properly acclimated. Though this foreshadows the protagonists’ relationships instead of actually establishing them, I believe it is more intriguing for the audience, starting on the ground floor of the group dynamic even though individual relationships are further developed, as they should be by this point in the narrative.

With the primary society, however, there was more room for exploration.

Because Gillie starts as a member of this society before getting swept up with Amelia and her crew, conveying the nature of this society was just a matter of locking down the types of themes I wanted to explore and making sure there were plenty of opportunities for the protagonists to genuinely disagree with the established norms. 163

Providing these opportunities was somewhat difficult because, unlike most other ensemble crew programs, mine takes place during an actual war, a conflict that should be uniting people instead of driving them towards isolation. To demonstrate this need for isolation within the character dynamics, I attempted to layer the general society with the basest reactions to war, not nationalism, pride, or camaraderie, but fear, disgust, and exhaustion; not much of a stretch when looking at the factual scope, length, and cost of World War I. I believe this mindset ups the stakes when the two societies clash because, even though this clash is expected, it occurs during a time that should be marked by unification, a rallying against a common foe. Being such a large part of this fracturing better explains the antagonists’ argument and further blurs the lines of morality in the story.

Similar to the societal dynamic of the crew, the specific role of Lorelei as the sub, Amelia as the captain, and the relationship between the two was greatly overshadowed by the immediate plot and the necessity of positioning each protagonist for the greater story. The sub as a representative of the greater world could not work traditionally because the story mandated it be in disrepair; it was physically unable to show the crew or the audience this scope. Aesthetics were primarily used to replace this, dressing the common and personal rooms with multicultural influences, making the engine unnatural and imposing, and supplying an enormous window in the bridge through which the unfamiliar terrain under the ocean can be witnessed.

For Amelia’s relationship with the sub, there was even less that could be done.

With everything happening to the characters there was not enough time to introduce 164

Amelia’s thoughts on Lorelei without introducing a jarring shift in tone. This has the potential to be a great introduction to the second episode; with Gillie and Walter still unfamiliar with the sub, it provides a natural lens to gauge the crew’s opinions on the matter, culminating with Amelia’s. There would also be room here to explore the negative aspects of expansive travel, as is often touched upon with ensemble crews who shun traditional society. Unlike these programs, the danger does not stem from losing one’s way or the inability to find something in such imposing surroundings; these things actually bring comfort to the protagonists. The danger comes from outside interaction on any level; because knowledge of the sub could be widespread, any outsider is a potential threat, and any natural occurrence in the ocean could impact the relatively thin walls separating the crew from crushing pressure. This leads to a reversal of usual crew interactions to other characters; where shows like Firefly or

Farscape have crew motivated toward others with cautious intrigue, Sub Culture has them motivated by reservation and paranoia.

When dealing with the concept of the “outsider” in the universe of the show, I had to think a bit more openly because this was the one aspect I explored that left me thoroughly unconvinced; I wanted to do something different from what ensemble crew programs traditionally did because I felt it left stories somewhat weakened. The outsider character representing a more hopeful outlook limited the scope of how they could behave and where their arc would be able to go. My differentiation occurred naturally because I had already made the “outsider” (Gillie) the lead protagonist of the episode. She still poses a threat to the crew, since they suspect that she will turn them 165

in once she completes her repairs. Once this notion is dispelled, however, she is still not immediately accepted into the family dynamic. The message of hope her inclusion is meant to present is replaced by one of distrust and coercion. Though this will gradually change as the relationships develop, I believe it is much more intriguing to craft a message of hope from an unlikely source (the crew’s dislike of Gillie) than to simply have her act as the posterchild for unification throughout the series (as John

Crichton did in Farscape).

Pairing up Gillie’s acceptance with the crew’s apprehension is also more loyal to the science fiction genre’s original use as precautionary tales when dealing with the unknown. On the one hand, her portrayal as Romani paints her as a sort of alien, unfamiliar to the crew who are predominantly American/European.

On the other hand, her interactions on the sub, primarily with the engine, are overwhelming and keep her in a constant state of stress. Though not inherently bad, these elements show caution employed when dealt with by the characters. I believe this utilization of the outsider motif is successful because, as stated, ensemble crew programs typically deviate too far from the core elements of sci-fi when writing this character type; Sub Culture offers a hybridization wherein the outsider ends up representing the hope keeping the family dynamic of the crew intact, but begins as much more of a threat. The arc from one to the other portrays the characters’ growth and acceptance of this changing role as well as its impact on their views of other elements of the story. 166

Drawing specific story elements from alternate history was the most difficult element of my script because of the lack of prior examples and the fact that my primary example, Man in the High Castle, developed calculatedly over the course of an entire season, not just a pilot. The most important component was the implementation of the Point of Divergence. As analyzed through my research into academic uses of alternate history, the PoD must be grounded in logic, must be reasonable within the standards of reality, but does not necessarily need to be related directly to the audience. Never in High Castle is Roosevelt’s assassination mentioned to the audience, but it still serves a purpose since all subsequent details of the universe stem from that one event. If the logic of these events does not match with the logic of the assassination, the story loses its already delicate sense of believability as a counterfactual narrative. The artistic license of what stems from the PoD keeps the audience watching but the balance of believability keeps them invested.

In Sub Culture I make no reference to the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, the destruction of Russia, or German resources in Eastern Europe, even though I have a

German protagonist. This information is relatively antiquated and does not serve the immediate story of the reignited war, but was plotted out before I let myself begin outlining the script nonetheless. This logic needed to be connected with the logic I was employing to write the new history of the universe because it maintains consistency, a thread wherein each action and reaction makes sense to the viewers so confusion does not distract them from the story. Though I do take great artistic license with this version of 1920, there is always a string of logical responses that keeps me tethered to 167

a sense of reality, a spark of believability. I think this is the balance that allows for a unique portrayal of an entirely different world without becoming too foreign or losing viewers to a series of incidents that fail to line up.

A couple main elements of alternate history were completely abandoned for the script, either to come back to later or because they would have weakened the story.

The incorporation of historical figures for example, though I intend to do so in later episodes, was entirely absent from the pilot. There was simply no room in the story after the protagonists had been established and there was no motivation for a historical figure at this point in the plot. High Castle took a similarly slow approach for what appears to be the same reason; the story surrounding the protagonists needed to be fully developed so historical figures were not brought in until after the midseason break. I think the utilization of these figures to explore what they represent in the real world is a powerful, unique tool to the alternate history subgenre, but I will be unable to employ it until the narrative of the protagonists is more grounded.

Similarly, there is the reference back to reality present in High Castle, but I believe this is a weaker narrative element, at least where Sub Culture is concerned.

Referencing back to reality draws a stronger comparison and makes the distinctions of the narrative universe even more blatant. It also creates another, major plot point surrounding parallel realties. This is not something I want to explore with Sub Culture as a personal preference; I am not a fan of most stories that journey back and forth between universes and would rather keep my pilot limited to the singular, alternate reality. Despite the drastically different environment, I believe avoiding references to 168

reality when telling an alternate history story keeps the story more grounded— grounded in an unusual place but grounded nonetheless. The focus is on the characters and their development, not on the worlds themselves and the comparisons they encapsulate.

Overall, I think this project was an incredible success. The writing always felt natural and I was able to explore something I am passionate about. A lot of time and energy went into the process but I always found the work easy to approach. I learned an immense amount about science fiction storytelling and was able to apply it in a way that will further my career as a television screenwriter. I only hope I will have the same enthusiasm for my future projects that I experienced with Sub Culture.

169

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