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flanaganfilm · 1 year
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The Midnight Club - Season Two
I'm very disappointed that Netflix has decided not to pursue a second season of THE MIDNIGHT CLUB.
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My biggest disappointment is that we left so many story threads open, holding them back for the hypothetical second season, which is always a gamble.
So I'm writing this blog as our official second season, so you can know what might have been, learn the fates of your favorite characters, and know the answers to those dangling story threads from the first season.
So for those of you who want to know what we were planning to do, here's a look at what would have been season 2!
AMESH Season 2 would open with Amesh, his glioblastoma advancing quickly. He would tell the first story of the season, but would be struggling to make it through. We'd focus on his love story with Natsuki for those first few episodes as it becomes clear that Amesh's death is imminent.
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Meanwhile, Ilonka is trying to reconcile how she was fooled by Julia Jayne, all while falling further in love with Kevin, and she realizes he may be fading faster than he lets on.
Ilonka begins a serialized story in an effort to encourage him to "stay alive a little longer," like he did in season one. And the story she tells is... REMEMBER ME.
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This was the thing I was most excited about for this season.
REMEMBER ME is one of my all-time favorite Pike books - it tells the story of a teenage girl who is pushed off a balcony, and awakens as a ghost. She has to navigate being a spirit while trying to solve her own murder. We would have stretched this story out over 5 episodes. We were going to use it as a vehicle for Ilonka to try to come to terms with the fact that she is going to die, and to begin to trying to wrap her head around being a ghost... but this is the coolest part... the lead character of Ilonka's story wouldn't be played by Ilonka. She'd be played by...
Anya.
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Because this is how we live on, isn't it? In the minds of those we leave behind. And Ilonka would use REMEMBER ME as a way to imagine her dear friend Anya, waking up as a ghost, navigating the afterlife. And this sets up one of the best mechanisms of the show - even if a character dies, as long as they're remembered by members of the club, they live on in their stories.
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As the story starts to pick up steam, though, the group will have to deal with the death of Amesh, which he greets with grace and bravery.
In his final moments, he sees someone in his room - the Janitor from the first season, as played by Robert Longstreet, who says comforting things to Amesh even though he can't respond.
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In his final, final moments, the SHADOW descends upon Amesh, and he is engulfed into it, which reinforces the idea that the Shadow is DEATH...
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With Amesh's death comes something that upends the entire thing: a NEW PATIENT. We didn't work out too much about who this would be, but it would be a new roommate for Ilonka. Someone taking Anya's old bed. Ilonka would find herself being initially cold to her - just as Anya was when Ilonka arrived. Even feeling like this new girl shouldn't necessarily be ushered into the Club. But of course they would develop a beautiful friendship over the course of the season. The new girl joins the club, where something else exciting is happening - Cheri is telling a story. We hadn't decided which one, but I think it might have been MONSTER.
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Natsuki would be the next to die, which would be heartbreaking. And again, she would talk to the janitor just before it happened... and again, the Shadow would come in the final moments.
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For Spence, though, things would take a different turn.
The advancements in HIV treatment in the late 90's would come into play, and we'd see his prognosis change. The HIV cocktail came out in Dec 1995, and we really wanted to explore that.
Spence would ride the swell of antiviral advancements, and by the end of the season, he'd no longer be classified as terminal. In the finale of season 2, Spence would leave Brightcliffe just like Sandra did in Season 1, heading off to manage his disease and live the rest of his life.
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But onto the BIG MYSTERIES of the season one... here are some answers: What is up with Dr. Stanton's tattoo and bald head? Well, a few things. First, Dr. Stanton is actually the daughter of the original Paragon cult leader, Aceso. Her nickname was Athena, she wrote the Paragon journal that Ilonka found in S1. She turned on her mother and helped the kids escape, but because she was part of the cult in her teenage years, she had the tattoo.
It was her initials that Ilonka found carved into the tree in season 1 (her maiden name was Georgina Ballard, hence the G.B. that Ilonka finds carved in the tree).
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She hated what her mother became, and the atrocities of the cult. She reclaimed the property after her mom was gone, and wanted to change it into a place that celebrated life. She was trying to undo her mother's legacy and leave something behind that was beautiful. She is wearing a wig at the end of S1 not because of a sinister reason, but because she is undergoing chemo. Dr. Stanton has cancer. Having helped so many people deal with disease, she now has to deal with it herself.
Her treatment would be successful, and she'd go into remission, but having to face that - while caring for the terminal kids at Brightcliffe - was going to be a very introspective arc for Stanton.
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What about the Living Shadow? It's Death, right? Well... no.
At the end of the season, Kevin will die... followed shortly by Ilonka. And as she is dying, two things will happen. First, she'll find herself talking to the Janitor, played by Robert Longstreet... and she'll make a discovery.
HE is Death. And nothing to be afraid of. It turns out no one else ever saw this character. Stanton has a cleaning service, and the Nurse practitioners make up the rooms - the only people who ever saw this mysterious Janitor were the patients. He is Death, and offers them kind words before they die. Then what was the Shadow?
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This is an idea we take directly from the book REMEMBER ME, and we'll see it play out in the final moments of Ilona's final tale. In Pike's book, Shari is pursued by a dark entity called The Shadow. When it finally catches her, though, it turns out it is not a bad thing at all.
The Shadow is THEMSELVES. It's the Unknown. As it engulfs someone, in the last moment of their life, it takes them through a place of understanding and catharsis, preparing them for the next step.
THIS is what happened to Anya in S1 when the Shadow finally reached her - that's why she fantasized a life beyond Brightcliffe, which ultimately let her find acceptance of her death. It looks different for everybody, depending on their mind-set - because it is simply an extension of themselves.
The Shadow is just the final catharsis, a return to our original form - it is a moment of true understanding, and once we experience it, we move on to the next place.
We see the Shadow in full effect when it finally comes for Kevin. KEVIN DIES with Ilonka at his side, and it leads to the biggest reveal of the season:
Who were the Mirror Man and the Cataract Woman?
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They were Stanley Oscar Freelan and his wife, who built Brightcliffe (fun trivia, he is named after the real-life Freelan Oscar Stanley, who built my favorite hotel in America - the Stanley Hotel. The Stanley is also the inspiration for THE SHINING!).
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But more than that... there's a reason that Ilonka only sees Stanley in the mirror, and sees the Cataract Woman whenever she looked at Kevin. This is something else we took from Pike's original book... these aren't ghosts, but glimpses of PAST LIVES.
Ilonka WAS Stanley Oscar Freelan, and Kevin WAS his wife. They've lived many lives this way, and are true SOUL MATES - they always find each other, and they always fall in love. In this life, they knew it would be a short one, so they agreed to find each other in the house they built. They've been "remembering" who they are, and glimpsing their former selves in reflections, and sometimes when they look at each other. This is also why Ilonka's very first words to Kevin in S1 were "Do I know you?" and why Kevin thought she was familiar as well. They are two souls who always find each other, again and again.
The story is this: Stanley was dying, and built this cliffside home hoping that the seaside air would help him. It did, and he far outlived his prognosis (this is also true of the real-life Freelan Stanley). However, his wife began to succumb to dementia.
She would wander the halls, looking for him ("Darling!") and would even forget to feed herself ("I'm starving...") and she eventually refused to leave the basement. Heartbroken for her, Stanley painted the walls to resemble the woodland view, and the ceiling to resemble the night sky, so that it would be a little more beautiful for her.
He also painted a labyrinth on the floor, which was a technique used to try to curb the effects of dementia. She'd walk the pattern of the maze and it was believed it could help her cognition. Eventually, she developed frightening cataracts, but Stanley loved her through it all.
They were soul mates.
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So while they seemed scary in season 1, that was just how Ilonka and Kevin's mind were trying to remember their pasts. We even had their faces distorting in ways consistent with how memories degrade over time. When the Shadow comes for Ilonka, and gives her this understanding - this "remembering" - she realizes she has nothing to fear. She and Kevin will shed these personas and be reborn, and have the joy of finding each other another way. The Shadow comes for her, Death takes her gently, and Ilonka goes off with Kevin back into the cosmos, ready for their next incarnation. The series would end with Cheri telling this story to a whole new table of patients, including our new series leads. Most of our original cast now would exist as stories, a story told to the next "class" of storytellers at the table, all of whom we will have met by the end of the season. A story called "The Midnight Club."
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Well, that's it... that was what we had in mind. It's a shame we won't get to make it, but it would be a bigger shame if you guys simply had to live with the unanswered questions and the cliffhanger ending. I loved making this show, and I am so proud of the cast and crew. Particularly our cast, who attacked this story with incredible spirit and bravery each and every day.
But for now, we'll put the fire out, and leave the library dark and quiet. To those before, and to those after. To us now, and to those beyond.
Seen or unseen, here but not here.
I'll always be grateful that I got to be part of this Club.
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wanderingchanneler · 2 months
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I need to know what Szeth did during all the time he was in prison. We know that Navani interrogated him a few times, and that he never tried to escape. We also know that he was allowed to leave to get the anti-Voidlight sphere Gavilar gave him right before he died. That’s literally all we know though. Szeth was locked up for almost a year, which is 500 Rosharan days. What did he do???
I don’t think Szeth hated it the same way Kaladin would have. He probably thought it was the least of what he deserved. There’s also a place in OB where he wishes his life could keep being boring, and he definitely got that. He also probably saw it as doing his duty, since it was what Dalinar wanted him to do.
But what did he do with all that time? Did he just stare into the lights he asked for and think about “cleansing Shinovar”? Did he do stretches/anything to stay physically strong/ready to fight? I can’t see him asking for anything to help him pass the time. Did he have conversations with Nightblood? Did his spren ever talk to him? We know that Nale promised to come train him in Division, so did that ever happen?
I don’t know how many answers we’ll get in book 5, but I hope there are at least passing references, because there were none in RoW. Szeth never thought of it in his one POV chapter in that book.
I know this is a relatively small thing, but I think about it a lot. I just want to know what this man does when he’s not carrying out orders, fighting, doing Skybreaker training, or actively in crisis. I want to know as much as I can about him
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dreamsofaparadox · 1 year
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“The problem is I’ve never been loved, not loved how I need or want to be loved. I have always been a placeholder, used for whatever reason and I let it happen just so for a moment I can feel close to someone and feel needed. I just want to be enough, I want someone to love me. I want a love in the movies or that you read about in books. I want someone to fight for me and stay. I want to be loved. I have always felt so alone, but been surrounded by others and that’s one thing but I’ve never ever truly been actually alone. So just please, let me lay here and feel a little less alone. Just let me hold you.”
11/5/22 23:11
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thecoffeelorian · 4 days
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...This was supposed to be Crosshair's big return to the squad, but it just feels so...well, empty.
For one thing, they were still 200% fine with leaving him alone with Hemlock.
Bad personal history behind the scenes or not; discovered knowledge of all the evils he was slowly enacting upon other Troopers or not...keeping Crosshair in the one place where torture and human experimentation reigned supreme was seemingly, according to Hunter, ten times better than getting him the kriff out of there, while only Omega "deserved" rescue.
This might have never been discussed out loud, but sadly, the bad vibes are still there.
Why is that?
Secondly, that big heart-to-heart talk that was supposed to have happened a few episodes ago...curiously sounded a bit more like generalized statements that offered exactly zero closure at the least; at the most, a huge cop-out from Crosshair and Hunter both.
In other words, nothing specific was said regarding the situations with Cid, Saw Gerrera, Rampart, Nolan, or the Commanders Cody and Mayday...and absolutely nothing about the Mindflaying Machine fron the pilot episode.
Again, everyone...why is that??
Why is it so difficult, let alone impossible, to discuss anything that's happened in the last year in canon, or else the last three years in real time? Does Hunter truly never wonder what happened to Crosshair on Kamino, Barton-4, or Tantiss?
Moreover, does Wrecker truly have so little to say to the one sibling who also went through the horror of the inhibitor chip activation, other than two whole soundbites revolving around the mission of the day and nothing else?
Inversely, does Crosshair have no questions whatsoever of just who his squad members were working for, let alone what they had to do for a handful of credits altogether, and all the while receiving a few surprise attacks by people who literally wished to rip Omega away from the only family she's ever known?
Or...could my suspicions about this entire series be correct, and these stubborn Fett men won't say a word about themselves or each other unless their 13-year-old sister/daughter handles it instead?
Final Analysis--If they're really just going to be silent about everything that took place before this season...then whoever said on Twitter that this should be turned into a book/novel is absolutely right, because a lot more would have been added here and there wouldn't be even more questions added to my "Unsolved Mysteries List". There might also be a little less leaning on Omega as the emotional translator, too, which would be great considering these adult figures kinda should be doing this themselves. Anyways, thank you for your time.
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imu-chan · 17 days
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so how the fuck did wwx’s parents die in a night hunt???? also how — like I’m assuming they left wwx with somebody while they went night hunting right?? so how did he end up on the streets???? how did anyone realize what happened to his parents????
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randomfoggytiger · 11 months
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I Love the Unanswered Questions of the X-Files
Who feeds Mulder's fish when he's out of town?
When did he and Scully exchange apartment keys?
When did Scully have Mulder witness her living will?
Does Scully fall asleep often on stakeouts, or did the strenuous 24/7 Modell manhunt force her to lose sleep and conk out on Mulder's shoulder that one time (...and also All Things)?
Did Mulder and Scully watch movies together before Je Souhaite?
What happened after the elevator doors closed in Folie a Deux?
Did Mulder ever tell Scully about his Monday-repeating-days theory?
The little things. Honestly, the unanswered questions are the charm of the show for me-- I don't need to see everything, and those missing elements perpetuate questions into eternity, hooking me for more (excluding the obvious ridiculous ones-- "that one lonely night", "Are we together?", etc.)
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stellarred · 2 months
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In STP, did Q have to rent an apartment to do his genetic work to save Kore?
Did he get his own laptop? Furniture?
So many questions!
How did Q get his flip phone?
How did he buy such stylish clothing?
Did he sleep?
Q had to have gotten bills in the mail.
With his powers fading, how did Q manage it all? Setting up a home base while he worked behind-the-scenes to save Picard takes some hustling and resources.
How did Q do it?
DAMMIT! I want to know!
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best-chaotic-neutral · 8 months
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The video in my last post got me thinking about something. The Peggies in Far Cry 5 get so angry and butthurt about being called Peggies but like, what would they actually prefer to be called? Because we know the name of the cult is called Project At Eden’s Gate but the individuals belonging to this group don’t actually have a name for themselves (unless I missed something) that they use. What does a Peggie call themselves in relation to their group?
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southotheborder · 2 years
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Still wondering why Sev had a leather tool roll for occlumency lessons...
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And why his wand was inside said leather tool roll...
Still waiting for answers.........
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smitethestate · 1 year
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The Owl House writers, you are awesome, you did the best you could with the cards you were given, you did a really good job and thank you for everything.
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Disney, come here a minute. Just come here. I just want to talk. Don't be shy. Closer. Closer.
Listen. You mother fuckers.
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scarletpoupee · 7 months
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Seriously...
Why am I filled with so much love, yet remain unlovable...
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endeavourfiles · 1 year
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About that gunshot…
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duskwoodgirl4life · 7 months
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Okay so if Cleo is saying she didn't hear him use a key then how did he get in? My guess is that Cleo either didn't lock the door behind her when she "broke in to Hannah's appointment" or Thomas did have a key because he got Dan to get him one from poke and she just didn't hear him use it.
I think there is something very sketchy about this whole thing, then there is the thing about the bracelet. Cleo claims she didn't see what he took but if Cleo really was Hannah's best friend wouldn't she of questioned what he was doing in Hannah's bag.
There are so many unanswered questions about this whole thing, I think they both knew what each other was doing there and I'm sure Cleo knows more than she's letting in about the bracelet. Why else would Thomas conveniently volunteer to go with Cleo to the pawn shop I think they wanted to get their story straight just incase.
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dreamsofaparadox · 2 years
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“Find someone who grows flowers in the darkest parts of you.”
7/14/22 23:58
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touratoura · 3 months
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What would happen if our concept of love didn’t exist? Would we still love in the same way if we weren’t shown throughout our whole lives what love should be? Would it be closer, distanced, protective, weakening, would we even recognize it as love? How much has our world affected us that we see love in the way we do?
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evilhorse · 7 months
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Certain questions perhaps should remain unanswered.
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