Moniek van der Kallen Master thesis Film and Television Sciences Utrecht Tutor: Ansje van Beusekom Second reader: Rob Leurs Reader with English as first language: Andy McKenzie How to end the season of a formulaic series. A comparative analysis of the series HOUSE MD and VERONICA MARS about the recurring conflict in the narrative lines of television series’ season finales: resolution versus continuity. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT.…………………………....………………………..…..1 KEYWORDS………………………………………………………...1 INTRODUCTION.……………………..………………………..…..2 METHOD ……………………………………..…………………......4 Story levels ……………..………….…………………………………………...….4 The WOW-method………………………….…………………………..……….…5 The story steps of the Ruven & Batavier Schedule ……………………………….6 THEORY: SERIES, SERIALS AND SOAP OPERAS …………..8 THE CHARACTERISTICS OF SOAP OPERAS ………….....…………...…………....14 Narrative subjects ………………………………………………..……..………...14 Narrative structures ….............……………………………………..…………….15 The organization of time ........................................................................................16 1. NARRATIVE STRATEGIES IN HOUSE MD ...…………..…19 EPISODE 1.01 PILOT. Building expectations for the series ..........................................19 Characteristics of a pilot of a series. Introducing the characters, creating expectations…………………………………..………………..……......19 Story endings…..…………………………………..……………………….…....24 Promises for future conflict……….………………..…………………………….26 EPISODE 1.22 THE HONEYMOON. Starting new narratives instead of ending them..27 Introduction a new romantic narrative, creating expectations...…………….…....27 During the episode………………………………..................................................29 Hardly a story ending, promises of future conflict..............................................32 Ending the episode………………………………..............................................33 EPISODE 2.01 ACCEPTANCE. Sketching the new situation….…………………….35 Reintroducing the characters, getting to know the characters pasts ……………..35 During the episode. Seemingly solving, rather than intensifying and clarifying the problem ………………………………........................................…37 Ending the episode...…………………………………………………………......38 OTHER SEASON TRANSITIONS …………………………………………………….41 2.24: No Reason (Part 1) and 3.01: Meanings (Part 2). Will House get rid of his limp and be happy? .……………………...….…….......41 3.24: Human Error and 4.01: Alone. Big cast changes, setting the new stage. …..44 4.15: House’s Head (Part 1), 4.16: Wilson’s Heart (Part 2) and 5.01: Dying Changes Everything. The personal ‘bromance’ cliffhanger.……......45 5.24: Both Sides Now and 6.01-6.02: Broken. Another ‘House’s mental abilities might be compromised’ scare dismantled...…51 THE NARRATIVE FORMAT ………………………………………………………….57 SOAP CHARACTERISTICS AND TACTICS IN HOUSE MD ……..……….…...…....58 Narrative subjects ……………………………………..…………..…………....58 Narrative structures ….............…………………………………..…………......60 The organization of time .....................................................................................62 2. NARRATIVE STRATEGIES IN VERONICA MARS ….…...65 EPISODE 1.01 PILOT. Building expectations for the series …………………….......…65 Characteristic of a pilot of a series. Introducing the characters…………….…...65 Story endings…………………………………………………………….…......70 Promises for future conflict……………………………..………………..….....71 EPISODE 1.21 LEAVE IT TO BEAVER. Solving the mystery death………….…....72 Wrapping up the mystery………………………………………………...….….72 During the episode………………………………………………………………74 Story endings ……………………………………………………………...……76 Introducing a new problem………………………………………………….....80 Ending the episode……………………………..………….…………..……...…83 EPISODE 2.01 NORMAL IS THE WATCHWORD. Revealing bit by bit what she did last summer, presenting a new mystery.……………………………..……83 Beginning the new season, reintroducing the lead Veronica Mars…………...83 During the episode: reversal of the presumed status quo……………………..85 Introductions………………………………………………………………..…...87 Promise of future conflict…………………………………………………...…...91 BRIEF SUMMARY OF OTHER SEASON TRANSITIONS……………………….......92 2.16 The Rapes of Graff. Introduction of the Hearst Rapist …………………....92 2.22 Not Pictured and 3.01 Welcome Wagon…..……………………………....93 From season - long narratives to smaller arcs .....................................................98 3.20: The Bitch Is Back solving a small mythological mystery and ideas for season 4: Veronica goes FBI……………………………………99 THE NARRATIVE FORMAT ………………………………………………..……….101 SOAP CHARACTERISTICS AND TACTICS IN VERONICA MARS ...………….......103 Narrative subjects ……………………………………………………………...............103 Narrative structures ….............…………………………………………………….…..105 The organization of time ................................................................................................107 3. COMPARING THE USE OF SOAP CHARACTERISTICS IN HOUSE MD AND VERONICA MARS ………………..……….111 SIMILARITIES……..…………...…………………………………………….….........112 SHARED SOAP CHARACTERISTICS THAT APPLY TO A CERTAIN DEGREE...112 WHERE THE SERIES DIFFER IN THEIR SHARING OF SOAP CHARACTERISTICS…………………………………………………………………..113 4. USING THE RUVEN & BATAVIER STORY STEP SCHEDULE TO ANALYZE SERIES…....……..………………116 WHERE SOAP CHARACTERISTICS CLASH WITH THE RUVEN & BATAVIER SCHEDULE…………………………………………………………………………….116 Narrative subjects …………………………………………………..…….......116 Narrative structures ….............…………………………….………………….117 The organization of time ....................................................................................119 THE LACKS OF THE RUVEN & BATAVIER STORY STEP DIAGRAM WHEN USING IT TO ANALYZE SERIES……………………….……………………………121 Character establishing scenes instead of character introduction scenes...…...121 Introduction of the dilemma and opinion of the week ….………….….……122 Number of plans diverges………………………………………….........…...123 Ignoring the problem………………………………………………...………...124 Smaller leaps forward and more relapses……………………………………124 WHAT IS NEEDED IN STORY STEP 8 NEXT TO HAPPY ENDINGS?..........…….125 Moments of temporary resolution….……………...……………………...….125 Tragic endings………………………………………………………………….126 CONCLUSION………………………………………….………...127 SEASON ENDINGS………………..…………………………………………………..127 STARTING UP NEW SEASONS……………...………………………...………...…..129 HAPPY ENDINGS VERSUS CONTINUITY………………………………...……….130 Any chance of a happy ending? ………………………………….…….….…131 SOAP CHARACTERISTICS IN VERONICA MARS AND HOUSE MD…………..…....132 THE ANALYSIS OF SERIES……………………………………………………...…..133 FINAL REMARKS……………………………………………………………………..134 BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………….……...…...136 FILMOGRAPHY……………………………………….………...140 APPENDICES APPENDIX 1: THE WOW-METHOD…..…………………………………………....143 APPENDIX 2: THE RUVEN & BATAVIER EIGHT STORY STEP SCHEDULE…..146 APPENDIX 3: LYRICS VERONICA MARS ……………..…………………………..149 DATA DISK: ANALYSIS SCHEDULES HOUSE MD AND VERONICA MARS..…150 Sources images on title page: VERONICA MARS : memles.files.wordpress.com/2007/05/vm.jpg HOUSE MD: http://media.photobucket.com/image/Hugh%20Balloons%20House%20MD/ kotoole72/Hugh%20Laurie%20Pix/Hugh-Balloons.jpg ABSTRACT This thesis, written in English, is a comparative analysis of the series HOUSE MD and VERONICA MARS about the recurring conflict in the narrative lines of television series’ season finales: resolution versus continuity. The WOW-method, the Ruven & Batavier story step schedule and characteristics found in series and soap operas are used to analyze the narrative strategies used at the end of the season. Conclusion: the procedural HOUSE MD doesn’t use cliffhangers, but does introduce new problems at the end of the season, or shows moments of temporary resolution. VERONICA MARS with its focus on the mystery of the season, the plot serialization level, uses cliffhangers to end the last episode of the season. Not to introduce new mysteries on the plot serialization level though, but on a character serialization level. Both series are more like soap operas then the author of the thesis presumed. KEYWORDS HOUSE MD, VERONICA MARS , series finales, season finales, closure versus continuity, narrative strategies, story levels, WOW-method, story steps, Paul Ruven & Marian Batavier, series, serials, soap operas, formulaic series, episodic series, procedurals, mystery of the week, the procedural level, problem of the week level, mystery of the season, the mythology level, the plot serialization level, mythological mysteries, characteristics of soap opera, unchronicled growth, unrecorded existence, lack of narrative progress, redundancy in narrative, sense of future, happy ending, open ending, tragic ending, cliffhanger, moments of temporary resolution, promise of future conflict, the character serialization level, the character mythology level. 1 Moniek van der Kallen How to end the season of a formulaic series. INTRODUCTION During my master, I became aware of the clash between the continuing narrative style and the yearning for a satisfactory closure within the last episode of 1 television series. I analyzed two exemplary series finales : BUFFY THE VAMPIRE 2 SLAYER and THE OC . A characteristic of most series is to keep the narrative continuing, never ending. But when the executives of the network, which airs the series, decide to cancel it, the continuing characteristic of the series is automatically disrupted. Whether the narrative ends with an open ending , a happy or a tragic ending; the narrative isn’t going to continue, the viewer won’t get to see what happens next 3. But the satisfaction of the fans with the last episode varies. In order to satisfy the fans,