Category: Episode Enneagrams

Breakdown of television episodes using the Storytelling Enneagram formula.

The Snowball Effect

Nothing but love for this episode, I promise.

ONE

Bubble-wipe to a real life iceberg scene. Over wintery landscapes, the French narrator speaks of the mighty iceberg that can sometimes stray into warmer waters. 

TWO

Cut to the three-palm island as an iceberg floats in. Now we look at Bikini Bottom, that cozy community, as snow begins to fall.

THREE

Continued scenes of snow-covered undersea buildings as the weather fish, wearing a trapper hat, reports on the winter blanket covering Jellyfish Fields and the neighborhoods.

Continue reading “The Snowball Effect”

Previously On

LEFTOVER NINE

We start with “Previously on Wandavision”, but this isn’t a normal recap of last week’s episode. (I don’t think. You never know when you’re being trolled on this show, lol.) A news report lays out “Devastation in Sokovia”, and then gives us background on the Maximoff twins, including footage from Marvel movies. Hayward speaks during the report, detailing that Wanda stole Vision’s body, and we see Darcy tell Vision that Wanda killed him. That we know from last week, but now we have actual movie footage that shows the event. Thanos pulls the infinity stone from Vision’s head. 

ONE

The recap ends with Agatha’s introduction of herself in the basement, also seen last week.

Roll logo montage.

TWO

Cut to torches and a title screen: Salem, Massachusetts, 1693.

Agatha is dragged through the woods by women in cloaks. Forming a circle, they place Agatha on a scaffold in the center and restrain her with magical bonds. An older angry woman asks Agatha if she’s a witch. Yes, she says. You’ve betrayed your coven, says Angry. You stole knowledge and practiced dark magic. At first Agatha looks cowed, but it’s an act. “Help me, mother,” she calls to Angry. She turns the power of the bonds back on the witches’ circle and drains their life away. Angry blasts her with a super beam, but Agatha drains her, too. Reaching down to her mother’s skeleton, Agatha unpins a brooch from the bodice and floats up and away.

THREE

(There is no Three.)

Continue reading “Previously On”

Breaking the Fourth Wall

On my first watch, this is the episode that started lowering my opinion of Wandavision. Watching it again, I dislike it even more. Let’s see if its structure is partly responsible.

(Again, I don’t recognize the homage of this episode. I’m just not up-to-date on certain eras of television programs!)

ONE

Light music as Wanda sleeps in bed. She reaches over to Vision’s empty side. Now she talks to the camera while sitting in a chair and wearing a robe. It’s like an interview and/or like therapy. She’s in bed again (still) when the boys come to her and say their game is freaking out. We see them using controllers, which change to joysticks, and then to a deck of cards. Completely under the covers, Wanda says she’s resting her eyes. Back to her interview, she decides to have a day to herself.

When she pushes back the bedcovers, she reveals her Halloween costume. Noticing she’s still in yesterday’s clothes, she cringes. In the kitchen, now in her robe, she takes an almond milk from the fridge and Sugar Snaps from the cupboard. The milk changes to a carton of whole, and then to a glass bottle of milk. Eating her cereal, she stares at it.

Interviewing, Wanda says she’s not sure why things keep changing. Credits for this show begin, with “Wanda” written on everything. The music is boppy and upbeat. It ends with all the “Wanda” titles finally joined by a “Vision”.

An overlay identifies “SWORD temporary retreat eight miles outside Westview.” Director Hayward and another officer speak. The broadcast signal is gone, they say. We don’t know SWORD’s plans, but whatever it is launches today. Behind them is a very large Hex wall.

TWO

Cut to Vision, still in costume, lying on the grass. This is the last place we saw him. Waking, he is surrounded by the circus. “You the new clown?” the strong man asks. Chained to the front of a truck is Darcy. You don’t remember me from last night, Vision asks her. She breaks free (fake chains) and walks away from him, thinking him a creep trying to hit on her.

Wanda asks the kids, “Have you seen your dad?” One of the twins mentions Pietro’s comment about rekilling Vision. He’s not your uncle, replies Wanda. Throughout is a sarcastic tone with clever patter. (It’s obnoxious, actually.) I have no answers, Wanda shrugs. She settles herself on the couch and takes the remote from the boys.

THREE

In comes Agnes, who quickly assesses the mood and offers to take the boys. Wanda is very grateful. “Let’s go, I won’t bite,” Agnes says. 

Continue reading “Breaking the Fourth Wall”

The Enneagram of Dragon’s Dogma

The gameplay is concluded, and now I want to look back at all my posts and try to assemble an Enneagram from the plot.

Caveat One: This is a videogame, and a rudimentary story has proven sufficient for the genre. Will Dogma show itself to have more?

Caveat Two: This story never ends. For me, that’s what makes this one of the best games. A cycle of reincarnation, not just “New Game” mechanics, is so unique. The Nine will always come back to the One, spiralling in place. And yet, we also spiral upward, not restarting but building from the last run, experiencing the same story but interacting with more experience, skill, and gear.

Let’s play.

ONE

From nowhere and with no warning, a humongous dragon lands on the beach of a fishing village and destroys things. We, the untested Arisen, pick up a sword and battle something so large, we’re the size of its toe.

As we lie in the surf, knocked aside, the dragon plucks our heart from our chest. It balances on his talon, beating. Then he swallows it and flies away.

We awaken in a hut. Our chest is brutally scarred and we have no heartbeat. Quina wants to help us, but at this point none of us knows anything.

On the way out the gate we’re greeted by a Pawn, our first. He explains to us about Riftstones and helps us prove ourselves. Afterward, a voice from the Rift offers us our own Pawn and allows us to now hire two others for adventuring.

TWO

A foreign warrior, Mercedes, invites us to rest. We are awakened by an attacking hydra. After we cleave off a head, it slides away. (To where? From where? Shh.) Mercedes, impressed, arranges for us to join her on a trip to the capital city, Gran Soren. We will show the Duke this beast head.

Meanwhile, Quina has gone missing. We track her down in the Witchwood. Hoping to learn more about the dragon, she seeks the local witch there. Instead we find the granddaughter, a young woman who hasn’t been taught wyrm lore. She does mention, though, that the Church knows about such things. Quina now has a plan.

We escort the hydra head to Gran Soren. While Mercedes leaves to inform the Duke, the Pawn Guild is suggested to us. We find the room and the guildmaster, who asks us to investigate a strange occurrence in the caverns beneath the guild. 

THREE

We descend into the Everfall, spiraling downward until we arrive at the bottom. There, we see an unearthly glow. When we touch the ground, snaky worms erupt and attack us. We run back up, worms emerging and chasing us. 

Continue reading “The Enneagram of Dragon’s Dogma”

Shore Leave

Although this episode is unbearably painful now, I remember it fondly. It’s actually a 1960’s scifi presentation of what we’ve come to call gaming, a virtual world designed for amusement.

ONE

The Enterprise orbits a beautiful green and blue planet.

Spock crosses the bridge to bring the camera in on Kirk in his chair. A pretty woman, probably a yeoman, stands nearby. When Kirk complains of a back kink, the woman massages it. Raising an eyebrow, Spock steps away and Kirk realizes who’s rubbing him. (Hey! Where’s our Basket Head?)

TWO

This awkward bit allows Spock to comment that everyone — except him, of course — is badly in need of rest. Kirk rubs his eyes and leaves the bridge, asking for McCoy’s report to be sent to his quarters.

Cut to a lovely woods scene. (It’s Southern California, lol, but it looks fairly green.) McCoy and Sulu, smiling, stroll next to some pampas grass. They are part of a scouting party, ready to approve this planet for shore leave. It’s like something out of Alice in Wonderland, McCoy says. Sulu wanders off to gather biological samples. When McCoy turns away, he faces a large white rabbit. It speaks its lines, checking its watch, and — hahaha! — trots away, some poor human in a fuzzy, oversized suit. And now here comes a girl in blue, chasing after it. 

THREE

McCoy doubletakes and yells for Sulu. Cartoon music plays over. Seeing nothing, Sulu holds McCoy’s shoulder. “What is it, doc?” he says as the camera pushes in on Bones’ disbelieving face.

Roll credits.

Continue reading “Shore Leave”

Avatar Day

If it lacked a couple of key beats, this is an episode I’d almost skip watching. It’s not bad, just . . . not thrilling.

ONE

The team, asleep, camps in the woods. When they’re surrounded, everyone grabs their important stuff except Sokka. His boomerang left behind, he’s told there’s no time to retrieve it.

TWO

He laments his lost identity. Aang has his tattoo arrow, Katara her hair loopies, and now Sokka’s just ponytail guy. 

When they go to pay for something in town, they’re told, “Have a nice Avatar Day.” This cliffside earth kingdom village holds a festival. A giant Kyoshi statue, a rolling Roku statue, food . . . Aang smiles at it all. Then the villagers torch the statues and cry, “Down with the Avatar!”

THREE

The Blue Spirit, in some village, steals food. After hiding the mask in the forest, Zuko returns to Iroh in a cave. They eat, Iroh unaware of what Zuko’s done.

Continue reading “Avatar Day”

All-New Halloween Spooktacular

Action-packed and full of reveals. I’m happy that the overall story moves forward with strength and purpose. 

But I don’t care if the costumes are canon, lol. They’re hideous.

ONE

Immediately the show opens with the fake credit sequence. One of the boys is running a video camcorder. Fast edits, sped up footage. 

The boy (Billy?) talks directly to the camera, bringing us up to date. He’s dressed in a costume. The brother (Tommy?) is obviously the cool one. Teasing and jokes go by, but no laugh track now.

Pietro naps on the couch, then wakes and speeds about. He’s a creepy uncle. Wanda comes downstairs in a Halloween costume that references her first comic superhero outfit (I think). Billy gives meta-commentary: “Mom’s been weird.”

TWO

Now Vision in his own superhero costume comes downstairs.. He’s on his way to help with the neighborhood watch. Wanda says, You didn’t tell me. The tension between them is uncomfortable.

THREE

Billy speaks to the camera: Mom and Dad are . . . different. 

Continue reading “All-New Halloween Spooktacular”

Wakestones

They can summon a rift of considerable power. Am I ready?

I leave behind my two friend Pawns. They can’t follow. Only my own Pawn goes over the edge with me. We land in the Seneschal’s Chamber.

In this void land, the Seneschal glows white. He drops a lot of information as we battle. I command all life into existence, he says.

“But expect none of the mercy men seek in their gods. The unbending reality of a world without compassion. The world and all its denizens are but empty vessels. In that regard, no different than the pawns. Without volition, there is no true life. That volition is tempered by the struggle for survival. Just as the pawns need a master’s command, so the world thirsts for the will to live. Turn back now and I will grant you a merciful death. Step forward, or retreat.”

Of course I step forward.

The Seneschal reveals himself. It’s the avatar from the opening tutorial. We played as him once. Now he and his pawn battle me and mine until we defeat them.

Then he monologues again. “You and I are swept up in the current, same as the rest. And so, until the coming of a new soul fit to craft the will to live — until that day, may you guide the world ever justly.”

From his chest he pulls a sword, the godsbane blade. 

“Those who arise to oversee this world are undying, save by this brand’s kiss. I ask that you, as the world’s new seneschal, use it now to vouchsafe freedom to your weary servant. Mourn me not, for I welcome the release. At long last, I am free of eternity . . . of infinity . . . free of the cruel, unending ring!”

Granting his request, I kill him. And then I, once he’s gone, also wield the godsbane blade. I’m dead.

My Pawn and I fall. As we drop, she becomes me and I disappear. When the transformed me awakens on the beach, my beloved greets me, recognizing me in some way. Together we walk into whatever life brings.

Credits.

Beautifully done, sir.

And we begin again.