Category: Episode Enneagrams

Breakdown of television episodes using the Storytelling Enneagram formula.

Dagger of the Mind

Utter bewilderment is becoming a bit of a habit between me and Star Trek. Critical Notes are at the end of the breakdown.

ONE

After showing the Enterprise in orbit, the screen goes to an insert of some kind of pharmaceutical container. Destination: Tantalus Penal Colony, Att: Dr. Tristan Adams. Pull out to show a man lift it on the transporter pad. It’s big!

TWO

It won’t beam down initially because the prison’s force field isn’t dropped. Then, cargo down, and a crate comes up. Classified Material, Do Not Open. The crate lid cracks open. An older man with an oxygen mask sneaks out. The Red Shirt doesn’t even hear him as he rushes up from behind and judo chops his neck. Super close-up on prisoner’s face, sweaty, as he hides by the door.

Roll credits.

THREE

On the bridge as Kirk tries to convince Bones that Dr. Adams’ theories make for a resort-like prison. McCoy says, “A cage is a cage.” 

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Book One: Water

Now that the first season of Avatar has been Enneagram reviewed, let’s look at the entire arc.

ONE

The first episode is basically the season’s One. It’s so funny to think of a time when I knew nothing about bending or the Avatar cycle. The showrunners did a good job establishing everything clearly, and our three characters are distinct and engaging. And Appa! Don’t forget our good boi! Because the believability of the Avatar is so strong, I forget how easy they made the worldbuilding of this IP look.

TWO

And episode two is basically the season’s Two. The Avatar has been missing for one hundred years, leaving the world vulnerable to the Fire Nation. Aang is now ready to tackle his destiny, go North and learn the other bending disciplines, but . . . first there’s a laundry list of distractions. Also in this section is a Zuko vs. Aang battle. How these guys will manage their relationship is definitely part of the Trouble.

THREE

The world has two Air Temples. At the Three they visit the Southern one. Aang confronts a lot of pain here, and in Zuko’s storyline Commander Zhao is introduced and even battles an agni kai against him. Everyone’s wounds are here, and the Air Temple is the visual.

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Saving Gran Soren

We’re sent on a goose chase. Some message awaits us at the Waycastle gate but when we get there we’re immediately sent back to the city. In the distance, we can see why.

Fire and smoke come from the agrarian district of the keep.

Remember that “dead” cockatrice? It was taken into the castle grounds as a trophy. Salvation (somehow) reawakened it so it would rampage and destroy. Of course we get there in time to stop it. (And kill it! Often it flies away before the final blow, so yay!)

Immediately after, we’re called to the castle for thanks, and also to accept a mission from the Duke. A very long, slow follow walk happens, first behind Aldous, and then back again behind the Duke. At the end of it all, though, is a treasure room. Sadly, the Duke can’t open the really shiny chest because it requires Salomet’s ring and I swapped it out for that forgery. Heh. (It’s a cape in the chest, not a big loss.) As I’m collecting my money bags, a soldier comes in.

Mission change. Salvation has taken captives at the Greatwall and threatens to offer up a grand sacrifice to see the land cleansed. We’re to go on up there and stop them.

Don’t Touch That Dial

I’m afraid I’m a little harsh at the end of this Enneagram breakdown, lol. Look out.

ONE

Nighttime, with separate twin beds. 

TWO

Vision wears an eye mask and Wanda startles awake when a bump is heard. Laugh track. The bedside lamp flicks on and off as Wanda worries. Vision wakes.

Are you using your power to turn on the lights, dear, he asks. Yes. He rises, turns on the light manually, and looks out the window. Nothing. Are you using your night vision, Vision? A bump startles him and he dives into bed. Another bump and Wanda scoots the beds together.

On each side their slippers, which had been tucked under the edge of their beds, are left behind. Cute detail.

For some reason Vision is afraid to investigate the noise. Wanda, determined, slides the curtain wide open, showing a stormy tree branch outside. They relax. Also, Wanda flicks a finger and changes the side-by-side twins into a king-sized bed. As retro commentary it’s a bit obvious, but okay. They eye each other — wink — and duck under the covers.

THREE

From a cartoon moon come an animated Wanda and Vision, flying. Credit sequence, obviously, and a clear reference to Bewitched. It’s a shame the last episode used too many motifs from that show to make a clear distinction, but here we are. (How do you reference The Honeymooners or I Love Lucy, shows without a magical character like Wanda, and hit the same vibe?) It’s an adorable sequence, with cartoon Vision twinkling through walls and Wanda magically grocery shopping. Vision’s inability to eat or drink is referenced, and as Vision drives home through the cartoon neighborhood all the people are in their yards bopping and singing along, sort of smiling and sort of robotic.

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THE PAPER

Good structure. Nice episode.

ONE

The Easter Island head as Squidward exits and set up his lawn chaise.

TWO

He opens a little bubble gum package, pops the gum in his mouth, and tosses the paper away. It lands on Spongebob’s walkway.

THREE

The pineapple house slides forward, right up to the edge of the trash, so that when Spongebob opens his door his feet are next to it. “Squidward!” he calls.

Continue reading “THE PAPER”

The Wyrmking’s Ring

It’s been three months of me trying to manage my tendonitis. As it seems to be chronic now, and as I don’t want to stop gaming, I’ll move forward with the Dogma story. My current regimen: Try to keep a light touch on the controller, and if a hardcore battle comes take a break afterward and stretch the thumbs. Also, ibuprofen.

Remember when I accidentally killed the griffin and I said I missed a quest and an entire corner of the map? Well, now it’s time to visit the Blue Moon Tower. Salomet’s gone to ground there. If I’d fought the griffin I would’ve dropped a portcrystal for later, but no matter. We trudge out there and fight Salomet’s outlaws on our way to the top.

It’s easy to lose a Pawn here off the edge of a broken staircase and into the aether, but we all make it to the final battle. Salomet challenges us and attacks. He doesn’t fight well and he doesn’t say much of interest. I really don’t understand his purpose, but . . .

No worries, I can see fine from back here.

He falls off the edge, leaving behind his magical ring.

I’m to deliver it to the Duke, but I take it to the Black Cat and pay for a forgery to be made. Anyone who carries the original ring has their magical powers augmented. We wants it, precious.

Filmed Before a Live Studio Audience

As a child I loved Bewitched, so I was initially charmed by this first episode of WandaVision. On a second viewing, though, it becomes old very quickly. Nostalgia is only good for a brief moment, apparently. Structurally, you’ll see the episode is fairly sound. It’s just not funny, and the unsettling creepiness is too low key. Full notes are at the end of the Enneagram breakdown.

ONE

The screen clicks on, like a tube tv would, to show a black and white scene. A classic car, with a Just Married sign on the bumper, drives down a road. Inside, still in wedding gear, are a smiling Wanda and Vision. Sitcom music plays as they pass through a neighborhood. The mailman waves and Wanda, smiling, waves back while Vision pulls down his hat brim. Anyone who’s seen a sitcom has seen these dynamics: friendly wife, grumpy husband.

Wanda gestures at the For Sale sign in the yard, and it magically has a Sold banner across it. Vision, with his bald, metallic head, carries her, bride style, toward the threshold. With animated twinkle stars, he goes through the closed door and she drops to the welcome mat, shaking her head in mock confusion. He opens the door and carries her in proper while credits roll: “Starring Wanda Maximoff”. We get the picture. It’s winsome and retro, and also a little puzzling.

In the kitchen Wanda, wearing apron and pearls, magically levitates the dishes as she organizes the room. It’s done with CGI, I’m sure, but they’ve animated the dishes to look like they’re on wires, the way the old shows would’ve done it. Fun. Vision comes in, reading the newspaper, and they go through the sitcom schtick — insult, smile, give an “Oh, you!” with a dismissive gesture. With laugh track!

TWO

Vision asks if today is special. The calendar has a heart on this date, but neither of them remembers why. And they won’t admit they’ve forgotten. Just before Vision leaves for work he changes his face to a normal human presentation. So that explains that.

THREE

A knock at the door and here’s Agnes, “your neighbor to the right”. 

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Miri

Critical notes, as always, are after the Enneagram breakdown.

LEFTOVER NINE

On the bridge Kirk reacts intensely to an old Earth-style SOS that the Enterprise is receiving. None of the crew is a familiar face except for Spock at his science station and Yeoman Janice standing near the captain’s chair.

They approach an Earth-like planet, although no colonies or vessels are out this far. Bones comes onto the bridge, and the camera dollies in for a two shot of him and Kirk as Spock reads out the planet’s specifications, eerily familiar . Close-up of Janice, vaseline lens and all, as she reacts: “Earth!” Heh, the view screen of this planet shows the African continent and the Arabian peninsula. “Not THE Earth,” Kirk says. “Another Earth.” The globe on the screen rotates and we see Florida and the Eastern seaboard.

Roll credits.

ONE

After recapping events so far, Kirk prepares to transport down to this alternate Earth. We’ll land in the vicinity of the distress signal, he says.

Here they come, beaming into a rough cityscape. It’s Kirk, Bones, Spock, Janice, and two red shirts. Already their clothes look incongruous. (It’s just one of the studio back lots with a couple of derelict classic cars, burnt brick building facades, and some random debris in the street. Actually, it looks like an Old West set mixed up with a Prohibition set.) Spock estimates this is the equivalent of 1960’s era Earth. The red shirts have gone in separate directions to scout the area. Heh. Evidence suggests, says Spock, the distress signal is automated. No one is around.

TWO

Red Shirt 1, phaser out, strides past a building. The door mysteriously closes after he passes. The gang stop to ponder a child’s tricycle. As Bones gently sets it back on the rubbish pile, spinning its squeaky wheel, a wild man yells and comes from a building. He attacks Bones. Intense music. Everyone, including Red Shirt 1, run to his aid. Lol, Kirk punches it. 

THREE

Downed, the wild man crawls to the trike and cries. He’s got blond hair and blotchy purple (?) skin, and kinda looks like a surf dude. He wants the trike fixed, and our team is gentle and sympathetic.

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The Siege of the North

As with the two episodes that began this season, these last two episodes should be looked at as one overarching Enneagram. Since they have the same title, let’s roll them into one post rather than break them apart. They mesh very nicely. Good structure when they’re looked at holistically.

PART ONE

ONE

We’re in the very shiny and beautiful Northern Water Kingdom. Dueling in Master Pakku’s class, Katara defeats everyone else and wins Pakku’s praise. Cut to Aang, kicked back in class, who bends snow onto himself, becoming a snowman. Serious vs. Silly.

TWO

Sokka takes Yue for a glorious ride on Appa. Just as they’re about to kiss, ash starts raining around them. Back at class, Aang stops his antics to notice the falling soot mixing with snow. From his vantage point on Appa, Sokka looks out and sees the armada. Fire Nation, a lot of them.

At the flagship, Admiral Zhao brags to Iroh of his great upcoming victory. He also tosses in a dig about Iroh’s loss at Ba Sing Se. As magnanimous as always, Iroh takes the hit, then finds Zuko and tells him to be ready.

The Water City rings the alarm. As Sokka parts from Yue, she says she can’t see him anymore. She likes him too much, and she has her duty to her people.

THREE

The Water Tribe Elder gives his speech to the troops, calling on the spirits of Ocean and Moon to assist them.

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