Blog 9: Dawson’s Creek

In the pilot episode of Dawson’s Creek, I counted 15 beats, which ranged from about 2 minutes to a little over 4 minutes in length.  There were approximately 4 beats per act.

The first act lasted through the video store scene, lasting for the first 12 minutes of the show.  The second act was only about 7 minutes long and lasted up until the first day of school.  The third act, about 11 minutes long, consisted mostly of the school setting with a few beats of the characters in their homes after school.  The fourth act began with the walk to the movie and lasted the final 13.5 minutes of the episode.

In the first two acts, the beats were an average of 2.5 minutes long, and they were pretty straightforward and easy to pick out.  In the last two acts, I had a bit more trouble.  The beats were a little bit longer (an average of about 3 minutes long).  It was less clear to me where a beat started and ended because they were broken into very short (1 minute or less) interactions that I had trouble classifying into beats.

Many of the beats displayed recapping of previous beats and forecasting of future ones.  For example, in the second beat, when Jen tells them she is starting 10^th grade, this recaps the information given to us in the first beat when Joey and Dawson are talking about starting high school.  The age of the characters is recapped again in beat 5 when Jen tells Dawson that his dreams of being a filmmaker are ambitious for someone who’s only 15.  Dawson’s role as a budding filmmaker and all around “nice guy” are recapped several times, as is Pacey’s role as an immature and somewhat pig-headed guy.  An example of forecasting comes in beat 5, when Jen mentions to Dawson that she is having problems with her Grandmother’s religious mentality—2 beats later, Jen confronts her grandmother, telling her she is an atheist, and later (in beat 11) her grandmother tries to force her to go to church with her.  There is also plenty of forecasting of the blossoming relationship between Dawson and Jen (their flirting in beats 5, 8, and 10).  The imminent blow-up between Joey and Dawson is also forecasted several times as Joey seems uncomfortable and angry every time she sees Dawson and Jen flirting.

It is difficult for me to say which plots are meant to be A, B, and C level, but from what I could tell, the two main A plots were the changing relationship between Dawson and Joey (the conflict that arises because of Joey’s feelings for Dawson) and the blossoming romance between Dawson and Jen.  Pacey’s flirtation with his teacher (Ms. Jacobs) was a B plot.  These three plots are intertwined over the four acts of the episode.

The first act began with establishing the first A plot (A1)—the long-standing friendship between Dawson and Joey which is about to be threatened by their evolution into sexual beings.  The second beat introduces Pacey and does some character development—we learn that Dawson is a budding filmmaker and that Pacey is immature and sex-obsessed.  It then establishes the second A plot (A2)—Jen arrives and the flirting between her and Dawson commences.  In the last beat, the B plot is introduced when Pacey flirts with an older woman who comes into the video store where he and Dawson work.

In the second act, the relationship between Dawson and Jen (A2) is furthered when he talks to her on the dock and then takes her to his “studio.”  A1 is also present in this act, as Joey eavesdrops on Dawson and Jen and then climbs into his window and talks to him about his suspicions that his mother is sleeping with her co-anchor.

Plot B is present in 2 beats of the third act.  At the beginning of the act, Pacey finds out that the woman from the video store is his teacher.  Later, he visits her classroom during lunch and flirts with her—she tells him she’s going to a movie, and he takes it as an invitation.  Dawson flirts with Jen in several of the beats (walking her to class, flirting with her at lunch, and finally asking her to the movie at the end of the act) to further plot A2.  The A1 plot is also shown when Dawson asks Joey to go to the movie with them, and insists to her that their relationship doesn’t have to change, and that they can talk about anything.

In the last act, plots A1 and A2 blend together as the kids are walking to the movie.  Joey, obviously jealous of the relationship between Dawson and Jen, starts making inappropriate comments and jokes, trying to offend Jen during the first beat.  During the movie, when Dawson takes Jen’s hand, Joey freaks out and Dawson takes her outside.  In the second beat, Pacey sits by Ms. Jacobs (B), and she tells him it was all a misunderstanding.  Meanwhile, Joey tells Dawson that he is blind to his perfect life and that he needs to stop living in the movies.  Then, in the third beat, Dawson walks Jen home (A2).  They obviously like each other, and when her grandmother comes to the door, Jen tells him she’s going to pretend they kissed.  B2 comes to a climax when Pacey confronts his teacher by the marina.  She admits that she was flirting with him for the thrill, and kisses him.  The final beat of the episode re-iterates the growing tension between Dawson and Joey, but ends with their friendship being strengthened rather than destroyed.

During the episode, it seemed that more storylines were left hanging than were resolved.  All of the main plots were left open-ended.  Though Dawson and Joey ended the episode on good terms, it is easy to see that Joey’s feelings for Dawson will come back to haunt their friendship.  The relationship between Dawson and Jen is just starting, and the romance between Pacey and Ms. Jacobs does not seem to be over, either.  Many of the small conflicts that occurred over the course of the episode (such as Jen’s confrontation with her grandmother over going to church, Jen’s dealing with her grandfather’s mortality, Dawson’s dealing with his sexuality and the sexuality of the people around him.  The biggest cliffhanger of them all occurs at the very end of the episode, when we discover that Dawson’s suspicion of his mother having an affair with her co-anchor is a little more than a suspicion.

There are several character arcs we can see beginning to form in this first episode.  I think the most prevalent is Dawson’s.  We can see from this first episode that he doesn’t seem to want to grow up—in the beginning of the episode, he seems blind to the fact that Joey has feelings for him and doesn’t understand why they can’t sleep in the same bed.  He also refuses to talk about sex with his father and feels it has no place in his life because it has no place in Spielberg films.  He doesn’t believe that Ms. Jacobs could possibly be flirting with Pacey.  At the end of the episode, however, he realizes that it is inappropriate for him to share a bed with Joey, and that their relationship is obviously changing.  I haven’t seen any other episodes of Dawson’s Creek, but I can imagine that throughout the series Dawson, Joey, Pacey, and Jen all grow and develop as characters, and that the relationships between them also go through a great deal of change.

Works Cited:

“Pilot.” Dawson’s Creek. The WB. 20 Jan 1998. Web. 10 Mar 2011.

Weekly Blog Post #9

For the pilot episode of Dawson’s Creek, I broke the show up into 25 beats. Beats are often less than two minutes according to Newman’s article. The show was 45 minutes long which puts each beat at slightly less than two minutes.
For what I have as the eighth beat, there is a very traditional beat setup, especially with respect to repeating information before new information is introduced. The beat begins with Jen looking at her grandfather and seeing his surgical scars. By doing this the show reestablishes the fact that Jen is only there because of her grandfather’s heart troubles. However, in the ensuing conversation between Jen and her grandmother, it is revealed that Jen is an atheist.
Another example of this classic technique occurs during the 21st beat (by my markings). This scene is the one in the movie theater when Dawson and Joey have to have a talk outside. It begins with Joey exasperatingly summarizing what just happened before new information can be added.
“Television assumes that we don’t watch everything and can always use a bit of reminding when it comes to the most important things to know” (Newman).
Although it is open to interpretation, the way I divided it, there was exactly one A plot, one B plot, and two C plots. The A plot would be the interactions between the love triangle of Joey, Dawson and Jen. The B plot would be the interaction of Dawson’s male best friend (I couldn’t ever hear his name) and his English teacher Tammy Jacobs. This occurs several times but it is not the central thesis to the plot. The two C plots would be the interaction between Jen’s grandma and Jen as well as the interaction between Dawson and his parents.
There are no arcs that are closed because this is the pilot episode. However, there are several arcs that are opening. Having only seen one episode, I cannot say for sure what the arcs are. However, I can make educated guesses. The biggest and most overriding arc will be Joey and Dawson’s interaction together. Jen and Dawson will have an arc that might last a season or two, however she is not as important of a character as Jen is.
On an episodic basis, there are certain elements that purposefully do not receive closure. For instance, the conflict between Jen and Joey. Because this is a pilot episode there is far more deferment than there is closure. The attitude is that not all the questions can be answered in a single episode. If it could it would not be a television show; it would be a movie.
The biggest issue with this show was it’s overwhelming and somewhat cheesy use of sexual terminology. The show has a very overt focus on all things sexual. In just the pilot topics of interracial sex, pregnancy, foreplay, masturbation and loss of virginity are covered.
Until the final scene between Dawson’s male friend and the teacher, Mrs. Jacobs, I had felt that the show was a bit too predictable. However, at this point it uses two parallel story arcs to contrast and break normative expectations. When Jen denies Dawson’s kiss it sets up a similar expectation of failure for the audience. However this expectation is broken when Mrs. Jacobs decides to kiss her student. The most unlikely of all the episodes miniarcs ended up occurring.
Newman, Michael Z. “From Beats to Arcs: Towards Poetics of Television Narrative.” Print.

Dawson’s Creek. “Pilot.” Web.

Blog 8: Dawson’s Creek

I decided to use the pilot episode of Dawson’s Creek to thoroughly examine and apply Newman’s PTS principles.

First, I would like to analyze the micro scale of the production and of the episodes into beats. By separating the scenes, I counted a total of 27 beats throughout the whole episode. Some beats ranged from 30 seconds (these were the short scenes during Act 2 when the characters were settling into their first day of class) to four minutes. In the Act 1, I realized that the final beat (the 6th) was the longest because it digressed from Dawson talking with Jen at the dockside and inviting her up to his room to share his infatuation with movies and Spielberg cinema. Although the locations changed from the dock to Dawson’s room, I realized that it was the same scene because it had the same elements and ideas. Most beats ranged from 1 minute to 2 minutes so about 1 1/2 minutes was the average. In Act 1, there were six beats; in Act 2, there were 10, which incorporated the most and minuscule beats; in Act 3, there were six beats; and in Act 4, there were four beats, which represented the least amount of beats.

The beats definitely did recap because there was the repetition of names throughout the episode, and it reiterated each character’s role and plots A, B, and C. For example, we see Dawson’s love for cinematography throughout the show, but its especially prevalent in this episode because the producers want the audience to really understand and assimilate with the protagonist. Some plots were reintroduced as well, such as Joey’s dislike for Jen, which were accompanied with insulting remarks and awkward scenes. There were also foreshadowed scenes such as Dawson’s suspicions in the first Act that his mother was having an affair with her co-anchor. I considered this as a C plot because by the end of the fourth Act, the audience can foreshadow that this will definitely be a B or an A plot in the future episodes.

Although I may not be right, I found there to be three type A plots:

A1- Dawson’s and Joey’s falling out or realization of the changes around them such as the novel emotions surging from puberty and the encounters with new people.

A2- The growing friendship between Dawson and Jen and how they develop feelings for one another.

A3- Joey’s dislike for Jen and how she tries to sabotage their new connection (Even though the plot is circled around these two characters, it heavily involves Dawson which is why I made it an A plot.)

Then, I found two B plots:

B1- The unfolding of Pacey’s new love interest with an unattainable woman in her forties that thrives on the attention of younger males.

B2- The clashing problems in Jen’s house, such as having a sick grandfather and the conflict between a rebellious granddaughter and her cynical, religious grandmother.

Finally, I found one C plot:

C1- Dawson’s relationship between himself and his parents’ sex lives, as well as his growing suspicions of an affair insinuated by his mother.

In Act 1, we are introduced to all types of plots except for B2, which will come in the first beat of the second Act. First, the audience is presented with the A1 plot, which involves Dawson and Joey. Joey insists that the relationship can’t be the same as before because she’s finally realizing that they’re growing up, puberty has already struck, and that’s its not socially acceptable that they do everything together at that age because of their difference in sex. Another plot, A2, involves the growing feelings and the new friendship between Dawson and Jen. Possibly, there could be an A3, which is the starting conflict between Jen and Joey since Dawson shows some interest in Jen. B1 introduces a middle-aged woman, who illustrates a temptress, who then attracts Pacey. Both play a role as forbidden fruit, Pacey being the young boy reaching puberty and Tamara being the unattainable attractive middle-aged woman. One more story disguises itself as the C1 plot, which starts at the first beat of Dawson watching his mother on the news as she hints her attraction for her co-anchor. The plot deters from developing through the next acts because we believe that her marriage with her husband is still strong until the final act.

In Act 2, we realize a new plot, B2, which is the conflict between Jen and her family, specifically the grandparents. There are two problems within this plot, the ordeal with her ill grandfather and the contrasting conservative views of her grandmother. A1, A2, and A3 develop further during the school scenes. In relevance to the past act, Joey and Dawson’s friendship starts to change. Dawson acquires feelings for Jen, while Joey becomes jealous, and Joey starts to get become annoyed with Jen. B1 continues with Pacey realizing that his crush is his teacher, which is another challenge that adds to the unattainability factor. However, that doesn’t stop him from pursuing her, nor does she stop flirting with him. Yet, he mistakingly thinks that Ms. Jacobs is inviting him to the movies. Besides C1 and B2, all the plots intercept when Pacey first invites Dawson to the theater. There are two motives behind this venture: for Pacey to see Ms. Jacobs and for Dawson to be with Jen. When Dawson implores Joey to attend the movies, he mentions that nothing has to change between their friendship. However, this further leads Joey to believe that their relationship can never mend itself back to the way that it was because Dawson is using her to pursue a girl.

In the beginning of Act 3, we see the B2 plot arise again with Jen and her grandmother negotiating their differences by bribing each other. For example, Jen is allowed to go to the movies with Dawson (a boy she detests) in turn for Jen going to church, but then Jen alters the negotiation by telling her that she needs to say the word ‘penis’ before she goes. Its an equal exchange for their principles that they stand for. Act 3 also represents the parallelism of the plots since all of them collide into a few scenes together at the movies. Dawson’s feelings for Jen is strengthen as Joey picks on her, and Dawson questions himself holding Jen’s hand in the movie. When this happens, Joey becomes jealous and freaks out by asking Jen another intimate question. The A1 plot continues with Dawson and Joey getting into a fight; Joey lashes out stating that he needs to start living in reality because he always forgets to appreciate what he has which is Joey. Meanwhile, B1 shows Pacey recognizing his mistake of inviting himself to the theater when he recognizes that Ms. Jacobs is with somebody else.

Finally, in Act 4, most plots are left open and others are left resolved. The A2 plot between Dawson and Jen is left open because we know that they like each other through them almost kissing at the end of the episode but that family and friends keep getting in the way of them being together. A3 is left open since the attitudes between Jen and Joey are still left unresolved after the outbursts from Joey during Act 3. B2 is not presented in the final act and is also left open. B1 is somewhat open and closed since Pacey confronts Ms. Jacobs (closing) of trying to seduce him with her charm in order for her to feel a rejuvenation of youth. After she kisses Pacey and storms away, Pacey states, “I’ll see you in class, Ms. Jacobs,” hinting more to come in future episodes. The A1 plot between Joey and Dawson is finally closed at the end of the episode since they finally understand where each is coming from as well as knowing that they can always admit the truth to one another–an understanding that began since they were young friends. Now, Joey truly feels appreciated and finally acknowledges that their friendship can remain the same. However, the return of the C1 plot arises in Act 4. Throughout the episode, we repetitively see that the Leery’s seem to have marital bliss, but at the very end Mrs. Leery kisses her co-anchor goodbye. Not only does this create narrative harmony but it also leaves the audience yearning for more and will bring more episodes to come to resolve the issue. Plots whose story lines are left open keeps the viewers entertained, engages the audience to return, and creates narrative harmony by reintroducing plots to help the new viewers understand what’s going on.

In the character arcs, all of them remain open since the pilot episode gives a sneak preview of their personalities and roles. Their characters will develop throughout the remainder of the show. In future episodes, can the audience then decipher who they really are. The pilot is mainly focused on the characterization of Dawson. We can see that he idolizes Spielberg and wants to produce movies, yet we can’t see who he really is as a person. The opening or closing of character arcs in the pilot also function the same way that plots do in the resolution, which is to engage the viewer each time they watch the show. It’s also a way for the audience to relate and to develop a relationship with a specific character. Identifiable characters will make for good television because the viewers will want to come back to watch their favorite character.

Work Cited:

Newman, Michael Z. “From Beats to Arcs: Toward a Poetics of Television Narrative.” The Velvet Light Trap 58.1 (2006): 16-28. Print.

“Pilot.” Dawson’s Creek. WB. 20 Jan. 1998. Television.

Week 9: Beats to Arc of Dawson’s Creek

For this week’s blog, I looked at how Newman’s ideas of beats, plots, and arcs fit into the pilot episode of Dawson’s Creek. Breaking down the episode into three smaller plots-and one mention of another plot, and looking at character arcs and how they developed over the course of the episode provided a new outlook on this PTS.

The major plot in this episode, plot A, as Newman calls it, focuses on Dawson and Joey’s relationship. In Joey’s mind it is changing and their ‘raging hormones’ are bound to affect their friendship. Change is inevitable. This plot is unveiled seconds into the show when the two of them discuss sleeping over. Joey voices her concerns about how they have grown up and they cannot act like the used together, while Dawson does not see any reason for their relationship to change. This plot is complicated by the introduction of a second plot, plot B, where Jen moves into town and it is clear from their first meeting, Dawson likes Jen. To move this plot along, Dawson asks Jen to the movies, and Pacey and Joey join. This scene really intertwines the two plots and brings Joey’s feelings on Dawson’s under appreciation for his perfect life (and mostly her) to his attention.

The plot of Dawson’s mom sleeping with her co-anchor is also introduced in this episode. Dawson question’s Joey about her thought on the matter when he notices his mom’s “B’s” are ‘too soft.’ Joey dismisses this idea of Dawson’s telling him he is “always looking for conflict” and that his ‘perfect life’ he has, things like that do not happen (“Pilot”). This is a much lesser plot in this episode but is the cliffhanger at the end of the show, meaning it is a plot that will stretch the episodes.

The opening beat in Dawson’s room is about three and a half minutes long

During the ten beats of the first act, the plots of Dawson and Joey’s changing relationship, Dawson’s attraction to Jen, Pacey and Tamara’s first meeting and Dawson’s notion that his mom his having an affair with her co-anchor, are all introduced. This act does a lot of recapping with names. For instance in the first beat, Joey and Dawson always use each other’s names when taking to one another. The first act sets the framework for the intimate character arcs that develop over the course of the episode and series. Key characters are introduced and focused on in this act (Dawson, Joey, Jen, Pacey, Grams, Mr. and Mrs. Leery and others) so that viewers can start to see what Newman refers to as the greatest character arc- one that shows “progression from youth to adulthood, innocence to experience” (Newman). From the first act, the creators are developing this arc for the viewers to attach themselves to.

The second act has scene’s that are quicker, especially when they are in the school setting. There are ten beats in this act. Act two has beats that move along and give glimpses into character relationships building. Viewers see Dawson’s attraction to Jen growing and the beginning of the climax of the episode is put in place- the trip to the movies. Also, the C plot of Pacey and Tamara is recapped when Pacey asks her about the video she rented. This plot is forecasted by Pacey bringing up the plot of the movie Summer of 42. This plot of the older woman seducing the young man forecasts what Pacey is pushing for in his relationship with Tamara.

In the third act, there are five beats that all centered around the night at the movies. The movie trip is the climax of the show where three of the plots hit their peaks. Plot C with Pacey and Tamara thickens when Pacey sits with her at the movies. Pacey quickly recaps his fantasy by mentioning Summer of 49 is ‘on reserve’ for her. The plot takes a turn when Tamara quickly tries to explain to Pacey that she was just renting a movie and that she is here on a date. The plot is left with Pacey getting punched.

The forth and final act consists of four beats.  In the first beat, the plot of Dawson and Jen developing feelings for each other closes for this episode. The feelings are not resolved, and without the ‘goodnight kiss,’ their next encounter is left open. It is clear the Jen is thankful to Dawson and that Dawson still wishes to be close to Jen. This plot is left at a ‘to be continued stage.’ In the second beat, Pacey and Tamara’s plot is resolved and also just beginning. When Pacey confront Tamara about her feelings of getting older and needing Pacey to feel attractive, they kiss. This sudden intimacy opens doors for this plot to continue. The viewers are left at a cliffhanger for this plot when Pacey says to himself, “I’ll see you in school Ms. Jacobs” (“Pilot”). The third beat for this act takes the episode full circle, back to Dawson’s room with Joey and Dawson having a meaningful conversation about all that is ‘going on between them’ that has happened over the course of the episode. This recapping tactic pulls all aspects of the different plots together and sheds light on how the ‘changing hormones’ are bound to continually affect this series. Dawson explains he thought Joey looked pretty at the movies and Joey tells Dawson she ‘didn’t want to be the one holding his hand, but she didn’t want Jen to be either.” They both tell each other their feelings went no further than that, but this does not really resolve the discomfort now felt in their relationship. It is only all resolved when Dawson yells out to Joey answering her intimate questions. When he answers this, we see their relationship returning to a more normal state. By both Joey and Dawson’s laughter, the viewers the a sense that in the next episode this uneasiness in their relationship will not be so prevalent. The final beat forecasts what is about to come and was a lesser plot in this episode. Having Joey see her Dawson’s concern of his mother sleeping with her co-anchor be true, leaves viewers with a cliffhanger that is sure to develop from a C plot into an A plot in the coming episodes.

Since this is the pilot episode, the character arcs are all opened within this episode. Mainly, the character arcs of Joey and Dawson are reveled. Viewers learn of their continued friendship and how their days have always been intertwined since they were young. In the opening scene of the show, Joey states her concerns upfront for her and Dawson’s changing relationship. Opening this side of her arc allows her character to develop into the protective, vulnerable one in the friendship, which ultimately plays a role in the episode’s plot of Dawson liking Jen.

Dawson’s character arc is also evolving throughout the show, and in that same opening scene in his bedroom it is evident that he only views Joey as a friend and cannot understand why things are ‘changing’ in her mind. As he notes, “despite their changing hormones” they are just friends (“Pilot”). Dawson’s speech and naïve outlook in this area allow greater insight into his inner life, which is an aspect of Newman’s arc level. His language and behavior allow viewers to begin to learn that Dawson has grown up in this ‘fantasy’ world where nothing is complex except the movie scripts he loves to pour himself over. From the start we also see Dawson’s intense love of filmmaking. At one point in the episode, when Dawson is talking with Jen, he says he loves movies because he “rejects reality” (“Pilot”). This passing remark carries much weight into how Dawson perceives the world and the situations he finds himself in.

There were other arcs of characters, such as Jen, Pacey, Grams, Tamara and Mr. Leery, that were opened a little in this episode, but not nearly to the extent of the main characters, Joey and Dawson’s arcs.

Overall I have to say that picking out beats and counting exactly how many where in each act was a hard task. I am not sure if my counts were even close to being right! It was interesting to see how many subplots there were and how they all interacted. Overall I think there was more deferment then closure. I think because it was the pilot episode there was a need for viewers to see all these plots unfold but left to ponder their own endings so they would be intrigued enough for the next show. Although the main plot had closure and Dawson and Joey laughed together at the end, the other plots were left with more room to grow. For me, trying to apply these PTS characteristic of Newman’s, made the show less enjoyable to watch and more critical.

Works Cited

Newman, Michael Z. “From Beats to Arcs: Toward a Poetics of Television Narrative.” The Velvet Trap. Fall 2006.16-28. Print

“Pilot.” Dawson’s Creek. 20 Jan 1998. Television. 8 March 2011. http://www.viddler.com/explore/Erik/videos/6/

Blog 9: Serial Narratives

Pretty Little Liars is a primetime series. It utilizes the important conventions that are stated to define a serial narrative. There is a certain degree of closure in each episode; however, new questions arise each time (muse.edu). There is a mystery left at the end of the show, and with the new found clues and info brought about, a bigger mystery is presented. Who killed Allison is the main questioned that is trying to be resolved throughout the season (TV.com). Yet, each of the four friends have their own mysteries that need to be resolved. The season runs starting in fall and then ends in the springtime with a major spring finale, which ultimately leads into the next season.

In episode 19, “ A Person of Interest”, there are 6 beats per act with about 4 acts. This makes for a total of 24 beats throughout the whole episode. The beats recap on a lot of things that happen throughout the episode. At one point in the episode the police come to search through Spencer’s room. Spencer, who was one of Allison’s best friends, is now a suspect in her murder case(TV.com). This forecasts a lot of upcoming events that could potentially happen. This shows that in the future there is going to be a lot of turmoil that is going to occur.

Each girl has her own plot that is within this show. There are multiple ‘A, B and C’ plots within this episode.  Spencer is made out to be one the suspects within the murder case and therefore she is coping with getting her room searched. On top of this, she and Toby, one of the previous murder suspects have sparked a love interest. Aria is coping with her parent’s splitting up but trying to figure out their suspicious behavior. She is sneaking around with the love of her life, Ezra Fitz, who is currently the English teacher at Aria’s school. Although, Aria has a secret she has to reveal to Ezra about Jenna, his new favorite student. She knows this could greatly alter their relationship. Paige and Emily, who are swimming teammates, discover that they have a passion between the two of them. Hanna’s mom discovers that Caleb has been staying in their basement and gets infuriated. And while all of this is going on, the girls are trying to maintain their friendship and solve the mystery of their friend’s murder. Jenna, who is Caleb’s sister, seems to be playing a role in everything mysteriously happening, and the same with Ian, Spencer’s new brother-in-law (TV.com). Each character has their own plot, but as the episodes come together, it is obvious that each individual plot affects another plot (muse.edu). This whole show is about the snowball effect and shows how one person decision can change the entire direction of a show.

As of episode 19, none of these storylines are truly resolved. For instance, whenever Ian was a suspect, in the next episode, things would appear to be resolved and incriminating evidence is held against him. Yet, right when the viewers think they have it solved, the next episodes give a complete twist of events. As the storylines are left unresolved in this episode, it makes the audience create their own solution and try and solve Allison’s murder. It makes this series so much more intriguing for everyone to watch. If the major problems get resolved one by one, these shows would be less and less appealing. There are still so many different directions that this show can go, and so many different suspects. These elements of suspense are what keep Pretty Little Liars so wildly popular.

In terms of this show and specifically, the current episode, there is more deferment for the smaller problems and no closure for the major problem. The deferment is proven through examples such as Emily come in touch with her own personal realization that she is gay (TV.com). This is a problem that never had a closure, because she has coped with it, and thus the problem is no longer there. Emily is still gay and there is nothing that has been solved but rather something that no longer has to be dealt with. As the whole series comes to an end, the murder closure will bring the whole series to a closure. Just as mentioned, the balance between narrative closure and serial deferment is what composes a primetime serial show (muse.edu).

Act I setup involves Pretty Little Liars, episode 19 setting up the new set of problem within this episode. The overall problem is already set in place, but as “A Person of Interest” unfolds, each smaller plot starts to unravel and reveal itself. Each of the girls has their issues come to light, and by Act II and III the plot for this episode is revealed and the complication sets in. for example, Hanna’s mom has found out about Caleb and her mom is upset. Hanna and her mom are furious at each other and at this point, Hanna has left for the night and her mom does not know what to do about it. This plot is lingering in the air, along with all the others (TV.com). Towards the end of Act III everything has come to a climax and now Hanna’s relationship with her mom and Caleb is at stake. At this point in the episode, everyone has something to lose and something else to possibly gain based on stakes that have been raised. The mysterious character “A” has made his/her presence known and threatened the girls in some way. Around this point, the viewers are on the edge of their seats because there is so much that could be lost. By Act IV, the resolutions and deferments of this episode have come to a conclusion. Things have started to fall into place. And even though the main mystery of things have climaxed to the top and even more questions are in the heads of the viewers, things start to seem a little at peace with the lives’ of the girls. Hanna’s mom has accepted the idea of Caleb and let him stay at their house in the guest room. Her mom and she are great and she and Caleb are even better(TV.com).

The character arcs are more overall throughout the show, not mainly within the episode. While during the episode little things make a viewer feel like they are getting to know the character better, but it is the same characters throughout the show (muse.edu). For instance, Jenna is blind and we knew that, however, in episode 19, we discover there was a fire that made her blind and was maybe not an accident like was assumed. We figure out that she has a side of sneaky secrecy that may link her to the murder (TV.com). However, with her quiet innocence, no one can guess this except for the girls. You see a deeper more sensitive side of Spencer who is typically just a geek. She starts to fall and become emotionally involved with Toby, and we see her start to let her walls down. She seems invincible, but with one little factor in this episode; we get a deeper idea of who Spencer is. Aria has always seemed like the girl who is the rebel and fearless. She begins to breakdown and cry in front of Ezra (TV.com). This shows such a compassionate side that was completely unexpected. The revealing of these characters can help the viewer get a better idea of who will be a suspect in the overall problem. These characters keep us guessing as viewers and helps in the unrolling of the final plot. This leads up to the final moment f the finale like we have all been waiting for.

“Pretty Little Liars: A Person of Interest.” TV.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Mar 2011. <http://www.tv.com/pretty-little-liars/a-person-of-interest/episode/1373311/summary.html?tag=ep_guide;summary&gt;.

“Pretty Little Liars: A Person of Interest.” Hulu.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Mar 2011. <http://www.hulu.com/watch/219040/pretty-little-liars-a-person-of-interest#s-p1-so-i0&gt;.

“From Beats to Arcs.” muse.jhu.edu. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Mar 2011. <http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/the_velvet_light_trap/summary/v058/58.1newman.html&gt;.

Blog 9: Gilmore Girls Analysis

According to Newman, the “television is a story machine” but its mode of storytelling is more than meets the eye (16). While television does function to tell stories to its audience, the way in which this is accomplished requires great technique and demands careful analysis. For Newman, prime-time serials can be separated into three different levels: beat, episode, and arc (17). Using these characteristics, one can see that for a series such as Gilmore Girls, Newman’s methods are upheld with practically every level.

Beats, as defined by Newman, are like scenes and they are the “basic units of storytelling” (17). In the episode “Kill Me Now” of Gilmore Girls, there were approximately twenty-one beats in the whole episode, averaging about five beats per act; each beat is also about two minutes long. “Kill Me Now” includes an A, B, and C plot and just like any typical prime-time series, four acts. The first act begins as Rory is invited to have a golf-learning session with her grandfather Richard at the club over dinner. Upon establishing this, Lorelai, Rory’s mother, fights with her mother Emily about making Rory do things she has no liking for; Emily, on the other hand, argues back and tells her that she’s just scared Rory will like the things Lorelai ran away from as a child. Thus, from this starting scene, one can foresee the conflict that will occur later on in the episode. Later beats also do well to remind the viewers of the source of this conflict and this is accomplished by Lorelai, who keeps talking to all of her co-workers at the inn, despite all of the crazy wedding preparations that must be done, that Rory is going to be golfing with Richard (“Kill Me Now”).

In the second act, Rory is shown having an enjoyable time with Richard at the club and developing a closer relationship with him; Lorelai, however, is still convinced that Rory is dying of boredom. In the third act, Lorelai finds out from Rory that she did, indeed, have a great time, her face filled with confusion. Feeling hurt seeing Rory get closer and closer to her grandfather, Lorelai picks a fight with Rory in an immature way and results in them not speaking to each other. In the last act, both of them are at the wedding, still in their silent treatment mode. Soon, Lorelai apologizes to Rory for her behavior and confesses that the life she used to have was not for her but it can be for Rory if she wanted it; as Rory watches a little girl get told by her high-class mother how to sit properly in a dress, Rory thanks her mom for never putting her through that, resolving their conflict (“Kill Me Now”).  Here, the main plot of the episode is the relationship between Lorelai and Rory but because one side plot consists of Rory and her grandfather and the other with Lorelai and her work, they all become intertwined to make the overall narrative make sense. Thus, Gilmore Girls combines its plots in a harmonious way while still keeping the essence of the different plots.

Newman’s middle level of analysis is the “episode” (17). Overall, it seems to provide more closure to its viewers than not but still leaves unresolved conflicts for further plot developments in later episodes. In “Kill Me Now”, the rift between Rory and Lorelai has been resolved as well as Rory developing a relationship with Richard (“Kill Me Now”). But, nothing has been done concerning Lorelai’s relationship with either of her parents. This part of the storyline is left hanging for the audience probably because it helps viewers focus on the mother-daughter relationship that Lorelai has with Rory and contrasting it with Lorelai’s distant relationship with her parents. Since this is an earlier episode in the whole series, it is still very hard to tell whether they will mend that gap.

Last but not the least, the “arc” is Newman’s largest level and is defined as the character’s journey (23). Since “Kill Me Now” is only the third episode of the first season, there is more of an opening of an arc rather than a closing one. One opening arc that can be mentioned from this episode is Rory’s new transfer into Chilton. Here, viewers are most curious about how Rory will fit in with the rest of the rich kids in her school and whether she’ll grow to love the environment that Lorelai hated as a child. Lorelai’s new relationship with her parents is also another opening that creates more questions, whether or not they can ever get along in the future. Therefore, with every level that Newman has mentioned, Gilmore Girls fits into this mold of a prime-time serial, even to the smallest detail imaginable.

Works Cited:

“Kill Me Now”. Gilmore Girls. Warner Bros. Television, 2000. Web. 6 Mar 2011. <http://www.freeonlineepisodes.net/gilmore-girls-season-1-episode-3-kill-me-now/>

Newman, Michael Z. “From Beats to Arcs: Toward a Poetics of Television Narrative”. The Velvet Light Trap .58 (2006): 16-28. Print.

From Beats to Arcs

For this blog post, I viewed Veronica Mars, episode 3: “Meet John Smith.”

BEATS

There were thirty-three beats in this episode.

There were about six beats per arc.

The shortest beat was twenty-four seconds; the longest beat was two minutes and thirty-seven seconds. The average length of the beat for this particular episode was one minute and sixteen seconds.

Some beats were completely dedicated to recapping previous events while others forecasted on what may come in future episodes. The opening beat recapped the two previous episodes and caught viewers up on all the important events that occurred. In another beat, Veronica has a dream about making out with Duncan–this could be seen as foretelling the future or her reminiscing on the days when they were still together. Later, Duncan is even making out with another girl (Shelly) and he accidentally calls her Veronica. In another beat, when Veronica talks about her mom, they recap that Veronica found out her mother was in Arizona (which they repeat a few times until she actually travels to Arizona to find that she had already left). Another prominent recap and forecast is when Duncan sees Lily with blood spilling down her face. Lilly tells him that the truth will come out eventually–so we know that this is not the end of her story.

There are three plots present in this single episode. The main plot is that Justin cannot find his father. Subplots that are going on include Duncan not taking his anti-depressants and Veronica not knowing where her mother is.

Justin not knowing who his father is coincides with Veronica’s inner longing for her mother. She understands how Justin feels and what he is going through so she decides to help him. Since they both have similar experiences, it creates narrative harmony because we can logically connect these two together.

EPISODE

Justin does eventually find his father. He finds out that he is actually now a woman and that is why his mother lied to him. This was a very prominent plot in the episode’s storyline. Duncan’s problem is somewhat getting better. In the last few scenes, we see him finally take the anti-depressant as opposed to flushing it down the drain. We can only hope that it gets better from this point on.

Veronica’s search for her mother is the major plot line that still lingers. The storyline is meant to have one major cliffhanger to keep the audience watching and interested. If this had been resolved in the episode, there would be nothing pressing to look forward to in the next episode. It keeps the series intriguing and leaving the viewers wanting to come back for more.

I think that on the whole there is more closure, with always at least one plot left hanging. They want viewers to come back to see the whole story play out, but at the same time viewers need some closure as well. It allows viewers to still miss a few episodes in between and catch up rather quickly.

Act I: setups the problem that Justin wants to find his father, and that Duncan needs help after his sister’s murder. The two surprises are that Veronica finds out that Justin’s father is dead, and that Duncan is throwing his medications away.

Act II & III: we see the complications unfold. John Smith is actually alive and most likely living in San Fransisco. Veronica sends out 440 letters to all the John Smiths and they go on a hunt to see if any of them look familiar. Duncan goes to see a doctor after a head injury.

Act IV: resolutions occur. Duncan finally takes his medications and tells Veronica he’s “getting better.” Justin finally meets his father (who is now a woman) but forgives him and would like to see him at the movie store every Saturday.

ARC

I believe that Justin’s character arc is opened and closed in this episode. Veronica’s is still opened. Duncan’s is still open as well, but I feel like we learned a deeper side of him in this episode so it may have just opened in the episode (as opposed to prior episodes).

Works Cited:

“Meet John Smith.” Veronica Mars. 12 Oct. 2004. Television.

Newman, Michael Z. “From Beats to Arcs.” The Velvet Light Trap. Austin: University of Texas, 2006. 16-25. Print.

Blog 9-Roswell

I chose to use Season 1, Episode 4 of Roswell for this blog post. I watched it through Netflix, but I believe the whole episode can be found here:

BEATS/ACTS:

This episode has about 21 beats that last, on average, 2 minutes and 7 seconds each. Act 1 has 2 beats, act 2 has 6 beats, act 3 has 5 beats, and act 4 has 8 beats. The beats recap and forecast usually through the dialogue between characters. For example, in the very first episode of the show, Max saves Liz’s life when she is shot by using his alien healing powers. Throughout this episode, this event is recapped many times. For instance, in the first beat of act 2, Max states that they need to lay low before, “the whole thing about what I did to Liz starts coming up again” (“Leaving Normal”).  Each beat is usually connected to the previous beat by some kind of recapping, thus keeping the viewer updated on what is going on. Future troubles with Max are also forecasted in the last act when Liz’s boyfriend tells her that, “Max is trouble. My Dad’s got an eye on him” (“Leaving Normal”). This foreshadows later conflict that occurs throughout the season between Max and Kyle’s father.

Throughout the episode there were approximately two “A” plots, two “B” plots, and 3 “C” plots.  The first “A” plots revolves around the relationship between Max and Liz, their evolving romance, and Max saving Liz’s life. The other “A” plot is an ongoing battle between Max and Kyle over Liz. The two “B” plots are the relationships between Liz and Kyle, and Maria and Isabel.  The three “C” plots are Liz’s grandmother and her stroke, Michael’s struggle with Max over gaining revenge, and Kyle’s interaction with his father. I think it is important to note that, while it is very prominent in this episode, I chose to designate the plot dealing with Liz’s grandma a “C” plot because it only occurs in this one episode and does not extend into the rest of the show. All of the plots are generally connected and really play off of each other. For instance, the “A” plot that deals with the relationship between Max and Liz is further complicated by the “B” plot of Liz’s relationship with Kyle.

PLOT STRUCTURE/NARRATIVE:

Act 1:

• “C” plot- Liz announces that Grandma Claudia is coming to visit.
• “A” plot- While Liz is working, Max comes in and they talk. Kyle’s friends turn around, look at them, and say, “He’s the guy.” Then, when Max leaves the diner, they beat him up, giving act 1 the introductory and surprise factors.

Act 2:

• “C” plot- Michael is upset over Max getting beaten up. He tells Max that he wants to get back at Kyle’s friends but Max tells him they need to lay low before, “the whole thing about what I did to Liz starts coming up again” (“Leaving Normal”).
• “A” plot- Max then lies to Liz about what happened to his face and tries to avoid her and any more conflict with Kyle.
• “C” plot- Grandma Claudia is then introduced and Liz and Maria talk to her, excitedly, about their lives.
• “C” plot- Later that night, Liz and Kyle come home to find an ambulance at Liz’s house taking her grandmother to the hospital.

Act 3:

• “C” plot- Liz’s family finds out that her grandmother has had a stroke, though the doctors are hopeful that she will recover.
• “A” plot- When Liz calls Max from the hospital, he shows up and upsets Kyle. Kyle tells Max to stay away from Liz.
• “C plot”- He then goes home where his father tells him that he does not want him getting mixed up with Max.
• “C plot”- The next beat shows Michael messing with Kyle and his friends which upsets Max. Michael reminds Max that he, “screwed up by saving Liz” (“Leaving Normal”).
• “B” plot- The scene is then switched to Maria telling Liz that she will take care of the family diner while Liz is at the hospital. Later that evening Maria is swamped with customers at the diner. The only other waitress walks out on Maria, leaving her to ask Isabel for help.
• “C” plot- Act 3 then ends with Liz’s grandmother going into cardiac arrest.

Act 4:

• “C” plot- Liz tells Maria that her grandma is not going to make it and that she feels bad for not spending more time with her.
• “A” plot- The scene then flashes to Isabel in a waitress outfit telling Max that he needs to go be with Liz, even though he was supposed to be avoiding her.
• “B” plot- Isabel then goes to work where she uses her alien powers to cook a burger and heat up coffee.
• “A” plot- The scene then switches to Liz showing up at Max’s house. She asks him if he can heal her grandmother like he healed her. He tells her that he cannot heal her and that it is her time to go.
• “A” plot- The scene switches again to Kyle’s friends telling him that they had beat up Max.
• “B” plot- Kyle is upset about this and goes to talk to Liz to tell her that he did not have anything to do with it. Liz had not known that Max had been attacked and breaks up with Kyle.
• “A” and “C” plots- Max then comes to the hospital and uses his powers so that Liz can at least say goodbye to her grandmother. Her grandma tells her to always follow her heart then passes away, which leads to the resolution in the episode. The episode ends with Max walking Liz home. She tells him goodnight then starts to walk away. She then turns around and hugs him tightly as the camera fades out.

EPISODE:

Because Liz’s grandmother dies in the episode, it seems obvious that her storyline is resolved in the episode. The only other storyline “resolved” is the one dealing with Liz and Kyle because Liz ends their relationship. The viewer gets the feeling, however, that Kyle is not gone from the picture forever, so the story is not technically fully resolved.  This storyline is more prominent that the one dealing with Liz’s grandmother only because it spans over more episodes and impacts other storylines in more dramatic ways.

All of the other storylines are left hanging at the end of the episode. The relationships between all of the other characters are important plotlines and thus, are left open to further develop the show. Most importantly, the relationship between Max and Liz is left open, leaving the viewer longing to know what is going to happen between them.

ARC:

The only new character introduced in this episode was Liz’s grandmother so her character arc is both opened and closed in this episode. The most important impact of this is that it furthers the plot about Liz and Max’s relationship. Liz’s grandma tells her to follow her heart which leads her straight to Max.

Works Cited:

“Leaving Normal.” Roswell. WB. 27 Oct. 1999. Television.

Meet the Browns

Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns

Instead of explaining the episode of Dawson’s Creek that we viewed in class, I decided to write about Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns. Meet the Browns first aired, on TBS, in 2009. It has been running for three seasons now. The basis of the television program is to explain the life of an older family learning to live together and work through every day challenges that life presents. It is a true American comedy and it even incorporates schadenfreude. This is because, even though it is not a reality television show, the viewers are still able to laugh at the misfortunes of the characters. I picked Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns to take a closer look at the beats, episode, and arcs of the sitcom.

A beat is a scene. Each beat, on average, runs about two minutes long. In Meet the Browns, there are around thirteen beats. Each of these beats runs for about two to three minutes long. There were even one or two that ran for close to four minutes. In this specific episode, “Meet the Retraction”, the beats were not only used to move the narrative forward, but also to help recap and foreshadow. A specific beat that recapped the episode was at the very beginning. It used the repetition of Joaquin’s name to show that he was one of the main characters. It also restated that the middle child is always overlooked. One way that this same beat foreshadowed the events to come was in the way that Sasha asked Cora if her boyfriend was going to propose again. This allowed the viewers, who had not watched previous episodes, to realize that she had been proposed to once, but something happened. Later beats in this same episode recapped the idea of this pre-engagement.In “Meet the Retraction”, there are two main story lines to be solved. The first of these two story lines is the feeling that Joaquin is being rejected and neglected by his new parents. He feels that the baby on the way is going to replace him and cause his parents to overlook him as the middle child. The second story line in this episode was the uncertain relationship between Cora and her boyfriend. Was Cora going to be proposed to again? If so, when would it be? If not, why? I think all of the viewers were happy to see that both of these story lines were resolved. The family began to include Joaquin more and Cora settle things with her boyfriend. There were no story lines left hanging. As a whole, there was definitely more closure than deferment. I really like shows like that! I hate being left with unanswered questions. The four-act structure can be broken down as follows: the introduction of the two main story lines, the focus on and solution Joaquin’s situation, the focus on and solution of Cora’s situation, and the closure of the whole happy family becoming “one” again.

In Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns, he goes into depth for the characters that he is focusing on in each specific episode. For example, because Cora and Joaquin had the “main roles” in “Meet the Retraction”, he allowed their “arcs” to be more open. While Brianna, Sasha, Will, and Mr. Brown had arcs that were more closed off and only scratched the surface. The opening of Cora and Joaquin’s arcs at the beginning of the episode allows the viewers to be included in the problems that they are facing. It gives them a deeper look into what’s going on. The closing of Cora and Joaquin’s arcs at the end of the episode allows the viewers to see the resolution of the problems that they are facing.

So, as one can see, each show is generally broken up into beats, episodes, and arcs. I hope this gave you a greater understanding of how Tyler Perry uses these three concepts in his show Meet the Browns. This is only a look into “Meet the Retraction”, so I hope that maybe this interested you in watching this show and taking a look at these ideas for yourself.

Darlington, Tania. “Week 9 Blog Post”. 2 March 2011. Web. 11 March 2011. <https://writingabouttv.wordpress.com/>

“Meet the Retraction”. Meet the Browns. TBS: Television. 11 March 2011.

Dawson’s Creek

The Dawson’s Creek pilot episode is structured in a way that successfully introduces the narrative plot of the whole series while simultaneously containing smaller plots within itself. The episode introduces the main characters Joey, Dawson, Jen, and Pacey, while giving the viewer glimpses of their life stories, but leaving many questions unanswered. The episode consists of around twenty-five beats, usually about two minutes long.  There were about six beats per act. The beats use foreshadowing in several instances throughout the show in order to forecast future plot developments. One example of this is when Dawson is watching reruns of his mom on television and he comments that he thinks she is having an affair. This suspicion gets confirmed at the end of the show when Joey sees Dawson’s mom kissing her co-anchor. Another example is when Pacey meets Tamara in the video store. Their relationship later develops into a forbidden affair between student and teacher, an event that is foreshadowed by their flirtatious first encounter. Throughout the episode there is repeated mentioning of the fact that Joey and Dawson are “just friends”, despite having been close friends throughout their whole life. This is an example of recaps.

In the pilot episode there are A, B, and C plots that can be seen. The A plot would be Dawson and Joey’s story line, which also has the most beats. The other plots are B and C plots with slightly less beats. There are several plots that work together to create narrative harmony, including the relationships between Dawson and Joey, Dawson and Jen, Pacey and Tamara, Dawson and his family, Jen and her grandmother, and the group as a whole. Although there are many story lines, the main focus is on the relationship of Dawson and Joey. When Jen arrives to town, there is an obvious attraction between her and Dawson. Their relationship emphasizes the subtle attraction between Dawson and Joey. Dawson and Pacey are best friends, and during the episode they are both pursuing romantic interests in their respective narratives.

The episodic portion, the middle level, of the Dawson’s Creek pilot episode achieves the goal of balancing narrative closure and serial deferment. Since it is the first episode of the show, none of the plot lines are fully resolved. The one that makes the most progress is the relationship with Pacey and Tamara. The viewer is simultaneously feeling that enough was resolved and they did not waste their time tuning in. These plots include how Joey will react to witnessing Dawson’s mom’s infidelity, how the relationship between Pacey and Tamara will develop, whether Joey and Dawson will confront their internal feelings, how Jen will deal with living with her grandma, and whether a relationship between Dawson and Jen will bud. As a whole, there is more deferment in the episode then resolution.

The acts within the episode are structured in order to create suspense and emotion in the viewer. Act I is the setup of the show, and it introduces a problem and ends with a surprise.  In this episode, Act I includes when Dawson and Joey are talking in his room and they introduce their relationship as just friends, and when Pacey meets Tamara in the video store. The surprise is that she turns out to be his teacher. The middle of the episode is Act II and III, when things get more complicated. This includes when Jen enters the picture, and Joey’s jealousy begins to evolve. It also includes when Pacey follows Tamara to the movie theater, and gets in a fight with her date. In Act IV, the resolution, Pacey and Tamara take their relationship to the next level and Joey and Dawson acknowledge that their relationship is more complicated than what they were first willing to admit. The episode ends with the setup of the plot of Dawson’s mom’s affair with the co-anchor, as Joey finally confirms Dawson’s suspicions.

The third narrative level, which is the biggest level, is the arc. The arc tends to develop characters and relationships, while allowing for novelistic character growth and a greater understanding for the characters’ inner lives.  Since it is the first episode, all of the character arcs are left opened. This leaves room for the characters growth and development throughout the series.  The plot lines that are resolved and deferred in the episode open character arcs for Dawson, Jen, Joey, and Pacey. This leaves the viewers wondering how each character will grow and change as they progress through their high school years.